
Bear Behaviour
Understanding bear behaviour is essential in creating safe environments for both bears and people. More often than not, bear behaviour is misinterpreted, from what it means when a bear stands on its hind legs to what vocalizations indicate. The more you can learn about bears and how they behave—and how to react appropriately—the less likely it is you’ll have a negative encounter with a bear.
Behaviour Basics
Bears generally want to keep to themselves and avoid people. Unless they are forced to be around humans to obtain a food source, they usually choose to stay in secure, natural habitat. Unfortunately, this is becoming more difficult for bears.
Bears, like other animals, have a critical space—an area around them that they may defend. If a person has entered a bear’s critical space or they have surprised a bear, they have forced the bear to act—either to run away or be aggressive. Bears are intense defenders of their young and food sources like carcasses, and if challenged for these things, they may become aggressive.
Bears are very curious and will inspect odours, noises, and objects to determine if they are edible or whether they should investigate further. Standing up on its hind legs allows a bear to get more information from its senses of smell, sight, and hearing. It is a sign of curiosity, not aggression.
Bears are usually most active during dawn and dusk, but they may be seen any time of day or night. Bears in many places of high human use have become nocturnal in order to avoid people, while others have become habituated to people in order to take advantage of a plentiful buffet of improperly stored attractants.
Bears can be territorial, though their home ranges can also overlap. A mutual use of land and resources is a basis for bear social behaviour. Bears are often described as asocial, which may be the case in comparison to wolves, chimps, or lions. While bears do not live in extended family groups or join in hunts, they can co-exist in close proximity to each other. Some adult bears have been known to adopt younger unrelated bears; young unrelated subadults may hang around in pairs or small groups, especially after they are “kicked off” by their mother bears. The bears of a region are usually familiar with one another. Male bear in particular are not social, and can be aggressive with one another and with mates with cubs.
Bears live in a dominance hierarchy based on age, size and temperament. Mature males are at the top of the hierarchy, and sub-adults and cubs at the bottom. Single females and subadults are usually submissive to mature males but have a loose hierarchy within their own group. An exception to this is if a female has cubs, she may work to chase off an aggressive male who wants to kill the cub(s) in order to put the female back in estrus and mate.
Bears habituate, or become accustomed, to people just like they do other bears. Because food resources can be localized—salmon in a stream or berries on a mountainside—bears have evolved to tolerate each other at close distances. This behaviour can translate to becoming comfortable around humans if a known food source is nearby. Bears are driven by finding food, and they have very a strong sense of smell.
Behaviour Over Species
You may have heard the saying “if it’s black, fight back; if it’s brown lie down,” referencing what to do if a black bear versus a grizzly bear charges. While catchy, this phrase is no longer considered completely accurate for what to do in a bear encounter. For example, if a bear is stalking a person and appearing predatory, even if it is a grizzly bear, the person should fight back in an attack. Conversely, if an attack is defensive (of cubs or a food source), consider taking a more passive approach, especially with a grizzly, until the bear perceives the threat is neutralized.
The rhyme stems from differences in how black bears and grizzlies often (but not always) respond to situations. Each species has evolved different strategies for survival. Black bears are excellent climbers, and when faced with a perceived threat, are more likely to run away or go up a tree. Although black bears may be more likely to retreat from people, they are still incredibly strong animals that can cause injuries. While grizzlies aren’t as good at climbing trees compared to black bears, they still can. Brown bears evolved in treeless habitats, which has influenced their behavioural response to most perceived threats. Often, they are more likely to stand their ground and defend themselves, rather than retreat. This is especially true for sows with cubs.
Because it can be difficult to identify the species of bear in a sudden encounter, and because there are exceptions, today’s standard regarding bear aggression has evolved. Whether you’re confronted with a black bear versus a grizzly bear, either species are capable of causing serious injury.