If you’re looking to ease off some tension and stress, then there’s no better way than an escape to the wilderness. While this sounds like an amazing solution to your problems, the wild itself has some problems that you need to watch out for.

Granted, nature can be unpredictable. What do you do if you spot a bear near you? Or if you leave your camp and you see foot marks of a bear nearby? What kind is that? Is it dangerous? What can you do? What do you do if you encounter a bear?

What to Know About Bears

Everybody knows that bears look cute, but they’re not that cute when they’re chasing you. Surprisingly, despite the body fat, bears are fast. Their feet are adapted to the place they live in and this makes them experts at chasing you.

Sometimes, they could even beat Usain Bolt on their own turf! Bears come in different colors and types and although every bear looks cuddly and cute, it’s never recommended to encounter one. Things can go pretty rough, pretty quickly. Don’t follow what happens in the movies, it’s mostly a lie.

You might be surprised to know this, but all bears are dangerous, so let’s just put that out there. There are many different types of bears that you can find in the wild. It’s quite crucial that you get an idea about the kinds of bears and how people can dodge them in case they ever come face-to-face with one. To find out which bear is the most dangerous, we need to look at the types first.

Types of Bears

North America mainly has three species of bear, which include the black bear, brown bear, and white or polar bear as it may be known to some people. 

Polar Bears

These white bears are not your average household pet. These bears are extremely large in size, and their white fur makes them look distinct. They stand on four legs, and can grow up to 10 feet long. An average polar bear weighs around 1,000 pounds.

Polar bears are notorious for being aggressive and violent. They fear neither animals nor humans, and this is what makes them extremely dangerous. Perhaps the most dangerous out of the lot. Usually, polar bears are found in colder areas such as the Arctic Circle.

Due to climate change, they have moved further down south. Since their habitat has changed, they now come down to look for food.

Brown Bears

Sometimes known as grizzly bears, they are quite famous for injuring people. Grizzly bears can weigh around 600 pounds and they’re not as large as polar bears. With an average height of 6.5 feet, grizzly bears are covered in brown fur.

What makes brown bears dangerous is their love for their children. People often wander off into unknown territories and end up encountering cubs. Grizzly bears are extremely dangerous because they are very protective of their habitat and cubs. Their sharp, long claws can rip open a human in seconds.

Black Bears

Black bears usually go from 4 to 7 feet long and their weight lies around 150 to 300 lbs. Black bears are mostly found in forests, and like to eat fruits, vegetation, and nuts. Since they like to eat an herbivorous diet, black bears aren’t popular human killers. They may try to avoid humans by hiding deep in the forest.

They are excellent in running and swimming though. So don’t try to pose a threat to their cub or they will come running after you.

Tips When Encountering a Bear

Bears usually stay away from humans, but if you ever happen to get close to one, you shouldn’t try to fight. Most bear attacks happen when humans get too close to them. This often occurs because people are trying to take photographs or make videos.

If someone out there is thinking that the chance that they would encounter a bear is very unlikely, then that’s totally untrue. Surprisingly, the population of bears is increasing. This is mostly due to regulations regarding hunting and awareness among people. The governments are trying to preserve the habitat of bears and this is increasing their population.

So it only makes sense for them to travel in search of food. Crossing paths with a human is more likely than one would imagine. Even though the chances of getting hurt by a bear are around 1 in 2.1 million, you still don’t want to take those odds.

Avoid Close Contact

According to experts who study bear attacks, most people can avoid getting hurt by a bear if they just stay out of their habitat. Trying to photograph, hunt, or poke around in their home can result in a collision with a bear.

Bears have an excellent sense of smell. They might have poor hearing but their smell makes up for it by a mile. When hiking, go through your supply of food items and packaging. Your food should not smell a lot, and keeping scents under control can result in a safe experience. Even items such as gum or deodorant can be smelled by bears.

The Ultimate Solution

Probably the best solution, after trying to stay out of their habitats, is to carry a bear spray. These sprays are amazing at what they do and they act as lifesavers in case you ever run into one. Right now it might seem far-fetched but the wild is unpredictable. Anything can happen at any time so it is always better to be safe than sorry.

First, learn how to operate the spray. Ask the seller to explain it to you and practice it once or twice to know how it works and to check whether it is in working condition or not. Second, observe how far it can go. This will help in reacting properly when you are face-to-face with a bear.

Third, and most importantly, keep your bear spray near you. This instruction is perhaps the most important. When a bear is in front of them, people usually fumble and this can result in loss of precious time. Keep your bear spray near you.

Takeaways

All and all, if someone is wondering which bear is the most dangerous, then the obvious answer is polar bears. One reason being that they don’t come into contact with humans a lot so they don’t know how bad it can be for them in case people are carrying firearms.

Moreover, polar bears are huge, they tower over most animals and they are known for their extraordinary strength. If it helps to understand, polar bears are also fast, so that just makes them the worst kind of bear you want to face in the wild.