AY Honors/Temperate forest leadership skills

Bear danger is a threat to many hikers and campers in the United States who visit national parks that are still relatively untouched by humans and have bears in them. These parks, such as Denali National Park and Preserve, use special camping techniques to prevent campers from harm from bears.

Separation is a key to conventional measures to minimize aggression and property damage by bears. Places such as Denali National Park use proper techniques of food storage, closures of park areas, training videos, and occasionally guns on aggressive bears to prevent bear danger from claiming the lives of campers.

Training Videos

Before backpackers are allowed to enter an area with bears, they are often required to watch a video that teaches them what to do when they see a bear. These videos educate backpackers on how to not turn a friendly bear into a dangerous one.

Food Storage

If food and other human waste is properly stored it can prevent bears from eating human food and becoming dependent on it. Campers can access bear-proof containers from the park to store their food and other wastes. They are also instructed to put their containers, campfire, and tenting Template:Convert away from each other, forming a triangle.

Closure of Park Areas

After a bear has been identified by park rangers or campers, the park has the power to close off that area to humans. Signs are posted on the borders of the closed area to prevent unaware campers from entering. Fines and/or imprisonment of $500 or 6 months are added on as incentive for humans to stay away.

Guns

When a bear attacks humans or eats human food, it becomes a threat to people, its habitat, and itself, which forces park rangers to find and kill it. This prevention technique is used as an absolute last resort after the other three techniques have failed or are ignored by campers.

Bear spray

Bear spray, a form of pepper spray, is generally an effective defense against attacking bears.