The phrase “a fed bear is a dead bear” is an adage in wildlife management, conveying a message about human-bear interactions. It highlights that providing bears with human food, directly or indirectly, leads to detrimental consequences. While not literal, it underscores the long-term, often fatal, outcomes for bears accustomed to human food. The message aims to protect both bears and people by preventing bears from associating humans with food.
The Natural World of Bears
Bears are omnivorous, adapting their diets to seasonal availability and regional resources. Their natural foraging involves consuming diverse plant matter like berries, nuts, roots, and grasses, which can constitute up to 80-90% of their intake. They also opportunistically feed on insects, fish, and carrion, using their keen sense of smell to locate food. Bears maintain a natural wariness of humans, preferring to avoid direct encounters and relying on their foraging skills.
How Human Food Changes Bears
When bears access human food, whether intentionally provided or from unsecured sources like garbage, their behavior changes. This involves two shifts: habituation and food conditioning. Habituation occurs when bears lose their natural fear of humans due to repeated exposure, becoming comfortable in human presence. Food conditioning refers to bears learning to associate humans and human dwellings with easy, high-calorie food.
Bears are intelligent and opportunistic, quickly learning that human areas offer readily available food. This leads them to abandon natural foraging in favor of convenient food sources. Once food-conditioned, bears become bolder and more persistent in seeking human food, actively approaching dwellings, campsites, or vehicles. These behavioral changes increase the likelihood of dangerous encounters.
The Outcomes of Human-Bear Interaction
Behavioral changes from human food conditioning lead to consequences for both bears and humans. Habituated and food-conditioned bears can become aggressive or destructive when seeking food, causing property damage to homes, vehicles, and campsites. They may pose a danger to human safety, as their natural fear diminishes and their drive for food intensifies. Wildlife officials often have limited options when dealing with these bears.
Relocation efforts for food-conditioned bears are often unsuccessful. These intelligent animals frequently return to areas where they previously found food, or continue problematic behavior in new locations. Consequently, wildlife authorities may euthanize bears that have become dangerous due to reliance on human food, making the “dead bear” aspect of the adage a reality. This outcome is a direct result of human actions, intentional or unintentional, in providing bears with food.
Living Responsibly in Bear Country
Preventing bears from accessing human food is important for their survival and human safety. Individuals in bear habitats should secure all food and garbage in bear-resistant containers. This includes cleaning grills after use, storing pet food indoors, removing bird feeders during active bear seasons, and managing compost piles to prevent bear access.
If you encounter a bear, remain calm; if it is aware of your presence, speak calmly and slowly back away, avoiding direct eye contact. Never run; this can trigger a chase response. Making yourself appear larger by raising your arms and making loud noises can deter a black bear. Carrying and knowing how to use bear spray can also be an effective deterrent. These actions foster coexistence between humans and bears.