Black bears are wonderful to observe in the wild and we hope you will have a chance to do so while visiting the Sierra Nevada. However, when bears and humans get too close, the result can be disastrous--for you or the bear. It is important to remember that bears will change their behavior if they become habituated to humans (get used to our presence) which will happen if we crowd them or observe them too closely. Bears also change their behavior if they obtain human food--even just one time. They begin to break into cars, tents, and cabins and may become aggressive. If a bear becomes a safety hazard, they sometimes have to be destroyed by wildlife managers. Other habituated and food-conditioned bears are killed by cars because they spend more time along roads and in campgrounds.

What should you do if you encounter a bear in a...

Natural Area?
Consider yourself lucky! Almost all visitors want to see black bears during their stay in the Sierra Nevada. This may be your chance to take a memorable photograph. In other words, enjoy, but please remember these simple rules:

• Stay together (especially small children)
• Give the bear(s) lots of room (300 feet or more)
• Don't get between a sow and her cubs
• Don't linger too long
• Use a telephoto lens instead of approaching too closely
  

Developed Area?
You are still lucky, but the bears need to be "hazed" out of developed areas so they don't feel welcome and get habituated or get food. Please help keep bears wild by following the suggestions below--these are especially valid if a bear enters your campsite or picnic area. You may also see rangers using more aggressive techniques. Please do not try these techniques or become offended by use of them. Rangers are well-trained and safety-conscious. These techniques seem mean but are essential for the future of these bears.

If a bear enters your area:

• Check to make sure all your food and food-related items are stored properly.
• Get everyone together (especially kids) and look really big and make lots of noise (e.g., yelling, banging pots, clapping, etc.).
• Never surround a bear--they need an escape route!
• Never separate a sow from her cubs (sometimes cubs are up a nearby tree).
• If a bear huffs at you and shows its profile, it may be ready to bluff charge. Stand your ground or back away slowly. Do not run.
• Never try to take food back from a bear!

What should you do if a bear bluff-charges?
It is not uncommon for a black bear to show its dominance by bluff charging. If this happens, look big, raise your arms, and stand your ground. As soon as the bear backs away, you should back away as well. The bear may be guarding food or cubs and view you as a threat.

What should you do if a bear attacks?
While it is extremely unusual for black bears to harm humans, injuries are reported every year in the Sierra Nevada. In the unlikely event that a bear does make contact with you, roll into a ball, face down with your hands over your neck. If the bear continues its aggression, bear experts advise that you fight back.

Where can you see a bear?

Most visitors who see bears in the Sierra Nevada are simply lucky, but you can increase your chances if you know where to look. The best places to find bears are those places that serve as food sources for this opportunistic omnivore. In the spring, bears are often found in meadows digging up grasses, forbs, and roots, or in the forest ripping apart logs for insects. When berries become available in the summer, bears are seen dining at manzanita and bitter cherry bushes. In the fall, visitors often see bears high up in the oak trees gorging themselves on acorns. Even if you don't see a bear during your visit, you can find signs of bears everywhere--overturned rocks and stumps, torn-up rotten trees, scratch marks and bits of fur on trees, scats, and of course, tracks in the snow or mud. If you are lucky enough to see a bear, remember that bears, and all wildlife, are wild. Please do not approach them and NEVER give them food.

All bears in the Sierra Nevada are American black bears, Ursus americanus. This name can be misleading, as they may be black, brown, cinnamon, or even blonde in color. The last grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) in California was killed near Sequoia National Park in 1922. This information does not apply to areas inhabited by grizzly bears.

Note: These regulations and precautions help decrease the chance of personal injury or property damage. However, bear damage and confrontations are still possible, even when all guidelines are followed.