"Hey, sweet little bear.
Do you like being tickled?"
Bears can be cute.
But for most people,
bear encounters aren't anything like that.
Statistically, bears shouldn't be your biggest concern
while hiking in the forest.
They don't normally attack people
for no apparent reason.
Not unless they're startled...
or starving.
If you do meet a bear
angry with you about the intrusion,
what should you do?
Well, the first thing to know about bears -
they aren't all the same.
Before choosing your survival strategy,
you'd be wise to identify the bear running toward you.
Color - medium-to-dark brown.
Body length - 200 cm (6.5 feet).
Body features - round ears,
long claws,
and a slight hump above the shoulder.
If you go hiking in the woods of Canada or Russia,
be prepared for a date with a grizzly.
Firearm?
Leave that thing at home.
A study of bear-human conflicts
proved guns to be ineffective when encountering a bear.
But bear spray is a different story.
Carry it in your front pocket.
If a brown bear attacks you,
you'll only have a few seconds to fire.
And don't run -
bears are fast, and they will catch you.
Better to fall in the fetal position,
protect your head, neck, and stomach.
If a grizzly keeps attacking you,
play dead.
Once the bear doesn't see a threat in you, they'll leave.
But first, they'll make sure you're absolutely dead.
It's better to stay down for at least 20 minutes
after an attack, just in case.
Color - from black to light blonde.
Body length - 150 cm (5 feet).
Body features - straight facial profile,
taller ears, and short claws.
Black bears aren't as big or as aggressive as grizzlies,
but they might attack you
if they feel threatened.
Whatever you do here, don't play dead.
These guys don't fall for that.
Don't try to climb a tree either -
black bears are much better climbers than you.
Instead, get big, get loud,
and act as aggressively as you can.
And don't forget about your bear spray -
it works for all bears.
Color - white.
Body length - 210 - 330 cm (7-11 feet).
Body features - short tail,
and massive paws.
If you find yourself alone in the Arctic,
and the largest land carnivore on Earth is running at you,
you've got yourself in big trouble.
For a polar bear, you're prey at first sight.
You won't scare them so easily with intimidation.
Fighting a one-ton polar bear - not a great idea either.
Once again, bear spray is your best bet.
I mean, this is not an ad for bear spray, but...
you should get some of this stuff.
You're running into a lot of bears.
If you do end up fighting the bear,
attack as if your life depends on it.
Because it does.
Try to aim for the nose or eyes.
And watch out for those deadly paws.
Ultimately, the best way to survive
is to avoid an encounter in the first place.
Lucky for you, most bears will retreat when they hear you coming
before you even know they're around.
Still worried?
Let me just say that you've got a higher chance
of dying from a wasp sting
than you do from a bear attack.
Sometimes you can get hurt
when you're least expecting.
Gotta have to stay tuned
for more survival how to's.