Funny Yet Legitimate Ways To Deal With a Bear Encounter

There exists a list of things to do and not do when encountering a bear in the wild. The National Park Service posted a list of hilarious, yet highly sensible, ways to evade a bear.

This all began back in 2021 when one suggestion from the National Park Service caught momentum. It recently resurfaced, and with it, other humorous pieces of advice.

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Word On the Street Courtesy of the National Park Service

Via their official Facebook page, the National Park Service shared this post on June 13, 2021:

If a bear clacks its teeth, sticks out its lips, huffs, woofs, or slaps the ground with its paws, it is warning you that you are too close and are making it nervous. The bear’s nervous? Heed this warning and slowly back away. ⁣What else should you do or not do if you come across a bear in Yellowstone?

Eight Helpful Tips For Dealing With a Bear Encounter

The National Park Service put together a list of suggestions to help you cope with a bear encounter. This post originally asked, " ⁣What else should you do or not do if you come across a bear in Yellowstone?" Read the list below, and you'll find helpful advice which should prove useful anywhere, not just at Yellowstone.

Please note: Yellowstone is home to both grizzlies and black bears. While it is never said, it is "implied" that the following list is targeted primarily at grizzlies. For suggestions involving black bears, check out the additional information from the National Park Service which can be found directly below the list.

This is Great for Grizzlies... but What About Black Bears?

The question was asked on Facebook, "Ha, this is great. Question if this is for all bears or just grizzlies?"

The National Park Service replied:

Yes. Stay grounded, get big, and be loud: Black bears usually tend to flee rather than fight back when faced with conflict. For any bear encounter, it’s good to assess the bear’s behavior and be aware of the distance between you and the bear in determining which steps to take. It’s good to stand your ground and back away slowly if you can, but never run.

Humorous Yet Valid

While the added twist of humor is awesome, the content included in each suggestion seems valid. Looking back on Sex Ed class in high school, Mr. Baker used to show us movies produced by Disney. Silly little cartoon characters would discuss the many wonders of gonorrhea and effective ways to avoid it. According to Mr. Baker, he felt the cartoons and their dorky little characters would imprint themselves on our puny little brains better than a stern lecture.