These people have a death wish.

[Mai72]

They think it's a good idea to get out of their cars and to get upclose with a bear. The bear looks small though. I don't know what would had happened if the bear decided to go after someone.
I just noticed the guy in the wheelchair. SMH. 😱😱😱

 

[snoopy7548]

I think black bears are generally friendly, or at least non-confrontational. If you let it come to you and don't act aggressively, it's probably fine, especially if it's not a cub.

That said, those people are dumb.

 

[Mai72]

I think black bears are generally friendly, or at least non-confrontational. If you let it come to you and don't act aggressively, it's probably fine, especially if it's not a cub.

That said, those people are dumb.

Ah, ok. Thanks for clarrifying that for me.

 

[Red Squirrel]

It would be kinda neat... but ya bad idea overall. They are a bit skiddish and could potentially decide to attack or even just swat at you. When I run into one as tempting as it is to just see if I can get closer I prefer to scare it away.

Ran into this little guy a few years back, lucky I had my camera on me!

 

[Spacehead]

I didn't watch the video but i wonder if that's some place where the bears are used to people being around. Generally they run away unless they're eating or protecting young.


And, "That said, those people are dumb."

 

[skyking]

beyond dumb, they are signing a death warrant with that behavior. Anything we do to make a bear that comfortable will lead to the bear's untimely death.

 

[IronWing]

I think black bears are generally friendly, or at least non-confrontational.

Um, no. Black bears are opportunistic; if they see an opportunity to eat you, they will. Stupid people make it easier.

 

[whm1974]

So which bears are more likely to hunt humans for food? I've always heard/read that Polars are the worst since they are not sure where their next meal is coming from living so farrrr north as they do.

 

[skyking]

Polar bears and Grizzly are truly mighty hunters, black bears are more the opportunists as stated above.
When we were in Yellowstone at the Grizzly discovery center, they had a video of a grizzly mother chasing an elk calf across a slope for a prolonged chase and kill. Her speed was just incredible, and the elk almost got away.

 

[BoomerD]

Um, no. Black bears are opportunistic; if they see an opportunity to eat you, they will. Stupid people make it easier.

Nah, black bears are usually not dangerous...with a few exceptions. Get between a sow and her cub, fuck with them, things like that. When I worked in Wyoming, I had a couple of them come lumbering up looking for food...didn't take much to chase them off.

Edit: Wild animals being...wild, you just never know for sure...and if the bear is big enough and HUNGRY, all bets are off.
One of my neighbors got knocked down and horned (not gored) by a buck deer about a month ago.

 

[OccamsToothbrush]

Nah, black bears are usually not dangerous...with a few exceptions. Get between a sow and her cub, fuck with them, things like that. When I worked in Wyoming, I had a couple of them come lumbering up looking for food...didn't take much to chase them off.

Edit: Wild animals being...wild, you just never know for sure...and if the bear is big enough and HUNGRY, all bets are off.
One of my neighbors got knocked down and horned (not gored) by a buck deer about a month ago.

Yeah, it doesn't matter if a species of bear is harmless 98% of the time. You don't know if it's sick, injured, PMS-ing, hungry or just having a really bad hair day, being on the wrong 2% of that equation won't end well for you. They're not all that uncommon up in this neck of the woods and it's not too unusual to hear of one invading a garage or tipping over garbage cans looking for food. Most of the time they don't bother anyone, eventually get bored and wander off on their own. I still wouldn't get near one though. It only takes a second for an animal like that to go from "awww, isn't it cute?" to "HELP, it's ripping out my spleen!!!!!!"

 

[Iron Woode]

wild animals should be left the hell alone. They can be very dangerous and unpredictable.

let commonsense be your guide.

 

[Red Squirrel]

A cub bear was trying to take my grandma's blueberries once when she was out picking alone in middle of the bush. She was not giving in to that and kept trying to choo it away and it kept coming up to her and grabbing her leg. She managed to distract it and got out of that area and saw the mother not far off. She got lucky there the bear did not make any distress sound. I always lol when she says that story because she says it like it's not really a big deal. "Do you really think I was going to give him my blueberries?"

Black bears normally don't want any trouble so they arn't too likely to attack, but you don't want to make one feel threatened or get between a mother and her cubs. 😱

There are videos of house cats scarring off black bears, it's actually pretty funny.

 

[BoomerD]

A cub bear was trying to take my grandma's blueberries once when she was out picking alone in middle of the bush. She was not giving in to that and kept trying to choo it away and it kept coming up to her and grabbing her leg. She managed to distract it and got out of that area and saw the mother not far off. She got lucky there the bear did not make any distress sound. I always lol when she says that story because she says it like it's not really a big deal. "Do you really think I was going to give him my blueberries?"

Black bears normally don't want any trouble so they arn't too likely to attack, but you don't want to make one feel threatened or get between a mother and her cubs. 😱

There are videos of house cats scarring off black bears, it's actually pretty funny.

bears and deer are why I have a 12x14x6' enclosure with a netted hoop top around myblueberries.

 

[zinfamous]

beyond dumb, they are signing a death warrant with that behavior. Anything we do to make a bear that comfortable will lead to the bear's untimely death.

pretty much this. Black bears, especially, are cowards. They tend to scatter before you even know they are there. These look quite comfortable around humans, and very tolerant of them...which is probably worse. It means they can either act impulsively around humans that have then become tamed to the bears, and/or end mean euthanasia for the bears, which is worse.

 

[zinfamous]

So which bears are more likely to hunt humans for food? I've always heard/read that Polars are the worst since they are not sure where their next meal is coming from living so farrrr north as they do.

NO bear is known to hunt humans for food. One might kill a human for reasons that animals kill humans, and then learn that humans are a food source, but I think that is pretty rare escalation for such bears. These would be grizzlies in remote areas and maybe polar bears, that rarely encounter humans as it is.