Only once in the 31 years studying bears did renowned researcher and educator Michael Allen fear attack.
It was when he came face to face with a momma grizzly bear—sow—with a cub close by.
Huffing and growling, she stood on her hind legs, towering over him. Allen had bear spray at the time and feared he’d have to use it. Thankfully, after many heart-beating moments, the bear sensed no danger, and Allen made a cautious retreat.
The Sea to Sky is black bear country. They were here before us. Their sense of smell, sight and strength surpasses ours.
We both fear and share a sense of awe when one crosses our path, as we love, fear and revere these gentle giants.
Allen recently gave a speech at Westwinds to a standing-room-only crowd.
Now a Squamish resident, he grew up in the Kootenays, and spent many years in Whistler conducting studies and bear tours.
Then, as now, he is concerned about bears being destroyed due to human-garbage conflict.
Bears strive to go where no man has gone before. And that’s where you’ll find Allen, tracking bears in remote forested areas to install motion-triggered cameras. He checks the cameras twice per month, traipsing through rugged and muddy terrain.
Allen’s talks are illustrated with film clips of bears and other wildlife, like cougars and deer, strolling bush trails. An amusing image caught on camera showed a cougar and skunk in a stalemate—the cougar not wanting to be sprayed and the skunk’s tail raised to defend against a pouncing feline.
“My interest grew because no one really knew much about B.C. black bear populations. I came to realize that individual bears could be identified, and their behaviours described as a barometer of change across their landscape. So, I set out to follow bear populations through the course of their lives learning reproduction, adaptation and survival,” he said.
Bear time, he noted, is spent eating to fatten up for winter hibernation, mating, and for sows, caring for cubs for up to two years. To hibernate, a bear will find an old tree to carve out a den, slowing their bodily functions for as many months as they need to survive through winter. On awakening, they will find a stream or pond to spruce up and then, love a good back scratch at an accommodating tree.
Black bears hunt for food, mainly berries, grasses, grubs and fish, at night to avoid, not confront, human contact. A bear becomes a so-called nuisance when forced to scavenge for food, due to humans destroying their natural habitat.
When asked what someone should do when confronted by a bear, Allen reminds people that black bears are not human predators. If one encounters a bear, he suggests speaking softly, not turn their back on the bear, and slowly back away. He cautions not to run. He warns to keep dogs leashed and under control. A harassed bear is a dangerous bear.
“Humans should appreciate bears due to their intelligence, resilience, and reflection of adaptive behaviours in our shared environments,” he said.
Melody Wales is a veteran writer and Squamish resident.
