Does playing dead actually work if you are in danger of bear attack?

Question

Or are bears not that stupid?

Answer 1

if you are ever attacked by a bear i suggest waving your arms and making yourself look as big as possible yelling very loud, this might spook the bear leaving you alone,  NEVER make direct eye contact you will provoke the bear to attack you. sometimes i suggest people to bring pepper spray when hiking you never know what you might encounter

Answer 2

The true answer is it depends on the bear and different conditions.  If the bear is hungry enough, your toast no matter what.  

The idea of rolling into a ball is not to play dead but to protect yourself as much as possible. Your in less danger with smaller bears (black and brown) than with big bears (Kodiaks and Grizzley).  Most bears do not prey on humans, but can cause severe damage (leading to death).  Bears are attracted by smells and are extreamly curious.  If you have no other option, you protect yourself by rolling into a ball (head, hands, feet tucked in) and let the bear satisfy his curiosity and walk away.

This technique does mean you have to guage the bear.  Is it hungry, is it mad, is it too young to know any better?  not the easiest thing to do given the situation.

Answer 3

bears have defo eaten humans

the Grizzly man was eaten by bears that he tried to protect then they ate his girlfriend just for desert

all they found was his head and boots

.

Answer 4

Bears have no problem scavenging on carcasses, so playing dead will not work. If you are caught by a bear, you are at it's mercy.

Answer 5

First of all, you could never fool a bear into thinking you're dead when you're not - they have a very keen sense of smell and would know instantly that you're alive. Even if you could convince the bear you were dead, it would be a very bad idea - bears often feed on carrion and would simply see you as an easy source of food.

The only way such a thing might be helpful is if the bear saw you as threatening, and making yourself appear small and harmless reassured it that you were not a threat, or if the bear was already attacking - curling up into a ball would be your best bet of protecting your vital organs.

When encountering any predatory animal, the key thing is not to run. Running will make you seem like prey and trigger the hunting instinct. You should keep facing the animal whilst backing away slowly - do not make eye contact, as this is a threat in most species. If it seems like it's going to attack, you should wave your arms and shout, making yourself appear larger and more dangerous than you really are. This will usually deter an animal from attacking, unless it's really determined - for example, if it thinks you are going to harm its young.

In response to Tiger B's answer, I'd just like to point out that grizzly and Kodiak bears ARE brown bears - they are subspecies of the brown bear (Ursus arctos), not species in their own right.

Answer 6

The idea behind this is to try and avoid making the bear any angrier than it already is. Bears are far stronger than humans and can seriously injure or kill them in a fight. Wild animals don't feed on things they ordinarily don't eat. lots of people are killed by bears, but I don't believe I ever heard of anyone actually having been eaten by a bear.

Answer 7

I agree with the first answer- if you are to that point and have not followed the rules of how not to get into that position- it's the bear's call.

One thing NEVER run. Then you are seen as prey. (AKA- very bad situation)

If you play dead, you show signs of vulnerability (also very bad). You should stand tall and remember to watch the bear (stand your ground) but never make eye contact or do anything else that seems aggressive. If a child is with you tell them to stand 'like a tree'. Because that's basically what you're doing.

Try to talk calmly, but sternly. Never raise your voice. If you seen the bear and it does not see you, never scare a bear (yet another bad idea).

This site has more, but I won't copy & paste.

http://www.wikihow.com/Escape-from-a-Bea...