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Life Guide U.S. essentials
English

If you meet a bear, wild boar or a pack of wild dogs, don't run; turn sideways and back away slowly

  • Moderate value
  • Evidence B
  • Buys life
  • Free
  • Takes minutes
  • Some willpower

In a real emergency, call 911 first, then read this.

In plain words

Don't run: a bear runs like a racehorse uphill and downhill. Don't climb a tree either, since both black bears and brown bears climb. Stand still, keep talking to it in a low voice, and when it stops moving, turn sideways and back away slowly. If a brown bear charges, drop to the ground and play dead, with your hands clasped behind your neck and your legs spread. If a black bear charges, don't play dead: run to a car or a house, and if you can't get away, fight back with whatever is at hand. For a bite or scratch from a dog, rinse and get the shots as in §13.13.

Cost

Free. Take a trekking pole into the mountains, go in a group, and make noise as you go, so the animals know you are coming. The hard part is standing your ground and not running.

What you get

The U.S. National Park Service's original on bears has six sentences. One is "don't run; a bear can run as fast as a racehorse, uphill and downhill." One is "stay calm; most bears don't want to attack you, they only want to be left alone." One is "keep talking to the bear in a low voice." One is "when the bear isn't moving, back away slowly sideways, so you can keep an eye on the bear without tripping." One is "make yourself look as big as possible." Another is "don't climb a tree; grizzly bears and black bears both climb trees." If a brown bear attacks, "play dead, lying face down with hands clasped behind the neck and legs spread." If a black bear attacks, "don't play dead; escape to a car or house, and if you can't escape, fight back with anything at hand." For a dog bite, handle it as in §13.13

Notes

Grade B applies only to bears. "Don't run, back away slowly, find high ground or an obstacle to block" for wild boar and wild dogs is a rule of experience and counts as grade C, and no official tips from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration or local forestry authorities were found this time. Don't lure them with food, don't get close to take photos, and don't take a dog into mountains with wild boar. The bears in China are mostly black bears and brown bears, and whether to play dead or not should be judged separately for these two.

Evidence grade
B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.
Sources
  1. US National Park Service. Staying Safe Around Bears. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm
  2. 国家疾控局综合司、国家卫生健康委办公厅 (2023). 狂犬病暴露预防处置工作规范（2023 年版）. https://www.ndcpa.gov.cn/jbkzzx/c100014/common/content/content_1706569159854649344.html

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 13, tip 31. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer