The Bear Necessities

By Hannah Welham

For those of you planning your annual camping trip into the wilds of Alaska this year, Dr Thomas Smith has some good news. According to his team of bear biologists at Brigham Young University* in Utah, the need for gun-toting as a defence mechanism against grizzlies is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

A twenty year study, has led Smith and his team to conclude that campers can feel perfectly safe with an eight ounce can of bear pepper spray in their bags.

Not convinced? You’re not alone. Prior to Smith’s study the $30-40 cans were not exactly selling like wildfire, and scientists and adventurers alike were unwilling to part with their pistols.

Recent research has shown, however, that pepper sprays specially designed to target bears can be up to 25% more effective than guns in protecting humans from animal attacks. The cans were shown to function properly in all cases, reaching delivery speeds of up to 70 miles per hour even on blustery days.

Slightly disconcertingly, the actual chemicals in the spray don’t seem to be responsible for deterring the bears from their lethal attacks. For example, some rather unfortunate guinea pigs attempted to spray the contents of their cans onto their tents at night, only to find that the bears were more attracted to their camp sites than to any others in the area.

Smith is of the opinion that the good old placebo effect may be playing a part in the sprays’

success. He believes that being in the possession of bear spray encourages people to stand their ground rather than making the fatal error of running away. He also thinks that the noise and visual effects of the spray might be putting the bears off their meal.

Whether or not pepper sprays manage to surpass guns in their popularity as bear defences remains to be seen. Either way, it might be safer to forget the Alaskan adventures, find a nice spot by the TV and arm yourself with a nice cup of tea. Any takers?

* Unfortunately no relation to the outdoor outfitting haven Ellis Brigham. That would have been too good to be true.

Bear your soul to other Null fans at our Facebook group.

For more from Hannah, check out her homepage, or try some more bear essentials from the Null: