Northwest Hiking

In July of last year, a man was attacked by a bear while sleeping in his tent.  During the attack, both hands were bitten, multiple puncture wounds were inflicted, and a hand bone was broken.  The story, which originally appeared on Fox News, illustrates one of the reasons many people have come to fear forms of wildlife and the havoc they can potentially wreak on “innocent” recreationists.  However, it is important to remember that in many cases, it is humans that have originally provoked the cause of attack by the animals.  It is this reason that hikers need to hike “green” by being respectful of nature and wildlife.

The various ways to respect nature are not fairly easy to follow, and include the basic common sense that many hear voiced from park rangers and guides:

• Don’t feed or get closed to the animals.
• Don’t leave litter lying around.
• Don’t disturb animals in their natural habitat or provoke them to aggressive habits.
• Stay on designated trails if instructed to do so in a particular region.

The list goes on and on, but the same rule applies: be safe and hike smart in a way that reduces human “footprints” on the environment as much as possible.  The impacts humans leave on the environment can and do alter the ways the nature we hike in.

In the above case, the bear attack was clearly the result of an animal that had grown accustomed to human, their food, and their company.  This is why it showed little fear of the man sleeping in the tent and subsequently attacked it in its search for food.  Remember to hike smart, be safe, and reduce human presence footprints.