Man-Animal Interaction: Conflict & Coexistance

[brotherbear]

Yellowstone Bears in the Wild.

Fear relates to a sense of "personal space." We know when others step into "our" personal space and so do bears. Personal space is the area within which a bear feels comfortable and not threatened. That space may vary on a day-to-day basis and is certainly different between individual bears.
Bears know the rules of personal space when encountering other bears. Subtle body language and vocal signals tell other bears when they are infringed and when to stop. These rules and signals prevent most encounters from becoming physical confrontations.
Space requirements are different for different groups of bears. Coastal brown bears often gather in large numbers where food is abundant and relatively long lasting, such as a whale carcass or salmon streams. As a result, these bears are more social, their personal spaces smaller, and they tolerate other bears and humans quite close.
Grizzlies, on the other hand, are solitary bears that seldom have access to large sources of food. When food is found, there is usually a limited amount, such as a single carcass. As a result, grizzlies are far more likely to aggressively defend a food supply. A grizzly's personal space is large, and neither other bears nor humans can get close without invoking its ire. Bears may become stressed long before space infringement causes them to make an overt reaction, either flight or fight. Their heartbeats may speed up and hormones may be secreted. These sorts of reactions cost energy, and bears prefer to conserve energy. Bear expert Steven Herrero suggests we consider a new term for a bear's personal space. He and his colleagues call it the "overt reaction distance ( ORD )." ORD recognizes that when a bear reacts from an intrusion into its personal space, energy has already been spent. In fact, energy may be spent without any visible reaction. Therefore, the courteous bear watcher should stop his or her approach before entering the ORD. Its safer and healthier - for the bears and the bear watchers. Reply