The American black bear is a majestic creature but one best avoided by humans. Black bears inhabit the North American wilderness and are endemic to the continent. They’re actually one of the smaller bear species that live in forests and rarely cross paths with humans.
When a close encounter with humans happens, however, the consequences can be deathly.
A toddler was playing in her backyard when an uninvited visitor showed up
It was just a normal day at Emily Wagner’s home in Long Valley, NJ. Emily and her daughter Harper were out playing in their backyard when an unexpected guest appeared and threatened their safety.
Emily was sitting on the porch, only a few feet away from her daughter when she heard Harper’s screams calling for help!
The intruder turned out to be a 400-pound black bear!
To her horror, Emily saw a big bear between her and her daughter!
“She yelled ‘Mommy!’ and I looked up and there was a big bear between us,” she said.
There was no moment to lose, Emily knew, and every second meant the difference between life and death! One wrong step could provoke the bear into attacking her Harper, with fatal consequences!
Don’t panic! If you ever encounter a bear there are strategies that can help prevent bears from attacking
Bears don’t hunt humans and just like other animals, they only attack if they feel threatened. In case you ever have the ill-luck of finding yourself face to face with a bear the first thing to remember is that panic is a big no. Remain calm and stand your ground! If the bear doesn’t go after you, move away slowly and sideways. Don’t run, because bears will outrun humans easily and it will only make a bad situation worse!
Luckily, most bear encounters end without injury and attacks are quite rare.
It was not the first time a black bear had invaded the family’s backyard
The bear made several intrusions into the family’s backyard but usually at night. This time, the encounter was much more dangerous and might’ve ended tragically had it not been for a valiant rescuer that jumped to Harper’s rescue!
Harper and her dog, Chief, grew up together after the Lab mix was rescued by Emily
Chief didn’t hesitate for a moment and even though the bear was much bigger and stronger than him, he bravely came to Harper’s rescue!
“He grabbed his back leg like he was trying to pull him away from Harper,” Emily said.
It bought Emily enough time to grab her daughter’s escape to the safety of their house and call the police while the family’s other dogs joined Chief to fend off the intruder!
“The other three chased him and he went into the woods over there and climbed a tree and he wandered off,” Emily said.
Encounters with black bears have become more common in recent years, but conflicts can be avoided if you take some simple precautions
“I’m not mad at the bear. I was mad at the bear yesterday,” Emily said and promised to be vigilant about bear danger in case their visitor ever decided to come back.
To avoid attracting bears, bring your trash cans inside at night, if possible, and make sure to keep your backyard clean and use enclosed bins.
“There’s no question that it’s possible for people and bears to coexist without serious problems if we’re willing to manage our food and garbage,” Biologist Stephen Herrero said.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
