On October 8, 2024, a bear attacked a Selo Kuzmynets, Kaluska district resident, Ivano-Frankivsk oblast. Fortunately, the victim survived.
In connection with this event, we remind you
RULES OF BEHAVIOR IN PLACES OF THE BEAR’S EXISTENCE
1
In places where bears live, it is necessary to show attention and caution. Try to stay in open areas, and avoid long advances through berry bushes or bushes with a limited field of vision in places where bears are likely to gather. Don’t be alone. Try to warn the animals of your presence by voice or other sounds, so as not to provoke an attack by your unexpected appearance. It is also necessary to remember that the level of danger increases in the dark part of the day. Do not approach the carcasses of dead large animals.
2
When setting up a camp or a temporary overnight stay, it is necessary to make sure that there are no traces of a bear’s activity near the chosen place (paw prints, excrement or torn bark on trees). If possible, it is better to avoid spending the night in unequipped camping locations where bears live. Tents should be pitched in open areas with sufficient visibility.
3
Do not leave any food waste – leftover food, hunting prey, etc. near settlements, recreation centres, tourist camps, and on permanent routes of people’s movement. Even buried, organic remains will attract bears. They must be removed or disposed of. Food storage located near populated areas should also be inaccessible to animals. In no case should you feed young bears that are interested in human activity and do not show fear of the appearance of a person. In the future, this will lead to an attack on people.
4
When meeting a bear, it is best to leave the animal’s location calmly and as inconspicuously as possible. If the bear has noticed a person but does not try to run away, you should try to scare the animal away with loud noises, shots in the air, etc. Dogs accompanying a person in the forest can provoke a bear attack, so it is better to avoid walking with them in places where bears are encountered. You can walk with your back towards a safe place, slowly throwing off things (backpack, jacket, etc.) that can distract the animal and reduce its stress level. Try to control the location of the animal/s and slowly increase the distance. Do not run away under any circumstances.
The perspective of the results of the meeting and the nature of a possible attack depends on the age, number of bears and how the animal perceives the person:
4.1
If it is a bear with cubs/cubs alone. NEVER approach the bear cubs or get between the bear and the cubs, do everything to leave the meeting place as soon as possible. The female will perceive you as a threat to the cubs and will do everything to eliminate you physically.
4.2
If you find dead ungulates in bear habitats, especially burrowed or covered in brush, NEVER TOUCH THEM and do everything you can to leave the area as soon as possible. The bear will make an effort to protect its own.
4.3
If you find fresh consistent bear tracks (paw prints, droppings, burrs on trees), DO NOT follow them. The bear will perceive this as a threat and harassment and will do everything to eliminate you physically.
4.4
NEVER provoke a bear with intrusiveness. The bear can pursue the offender for a long time, imperceptibly and persistently.
5
What kind of injuries can a bear inflict? Conventionally, they can be divided into two groups:
5.1
If the bear is interested in quickly eliminating the threat and fleeing, it will quickly approach, deliver a quick, strong kick with its paw, then bite the head and run away.
5.2
If the bear is interested in destroying the victim, it will crush, bite, and break it until it stops showing visible signs of life (screaming, moaning, moving, breathing loudly), then it may cover the corpse with ground or brush and leave.
6
A general recommendation, relevant for all cases of life: please sign up for verified courses on providing first aid. Get yourself the means to stop critical bleeding and learn how to use it.
