Fear is an interesting topic because it differs from person to person. When adventuring out into the Adirondack park one thing that strikes fear in the minds of some adventurers is the black bear. What creates this fear? Fear originates mostly from media and misconceptions that have been thrown about in this day and age. There is an abundance of black bears in the Adirondack park. In fact, there are about 4,000 black bears in the park today. That means that there is a pretty good chance of running into a bear. That being said, there is also a pretty good chance of encountering inclement weather without proper preparation.
The black bear is a mysterious mammal that we don’t hear much about. Black bears are mostly herbivores, meaning that they get about 90% of their diet from plants. The rest of their diet comes from insects, carcasses that they happen upon, or from small animals they attack if the moment presents itself. Although black bears are strong they don’t want to put in the work to hunt.
Bears typically become aggressive around issues of food or safety for themselves. When humans don’t plan ahead and leave out their food, bears can become desperate for what the humans have to offer. Similarly, if they feel that another mammal is threatening their family, they won’t hesitate to act. If you think about it, this is how most creatures act on earth. Humans are barely different from bears in the sense that they also get defensive over food and protect their families. At the campground I frequent in the Great Smokey Mountains, there are many warnings and instructions about black bear encounters. These warnings draw attention to the aggressive aspect of black bears and produce unnecessary fear of black bears. It is definitely important to learn how to deal with black bears but they shouldn’t be a source of fear. There are some bears that are inherently more aggressive like the polar bear and the grizzly (brown) bear. Both of these bears act impulsively and defensively although only for food or defense. With the large number of black bears in the Adirondack park, it is crucial to understand the fear associated with the black bear and why it is unnecessary.
Awesome post! As someone who is afraid of bears, wolves, and the like, your post eased my worries. I especially enjoyed the comparison to human behavior (aggressive in defense of vital resources and family), which helped me understand black bear behavior! I also definitely agree with your comment that these misconceived fears arise from media. It's understandable how these fears arise; if someone has never encountered larger wildlife like black bears, they would only understand as much as they had learned from media or other sources! Thanks for the post, it was a great read!
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