Behind the scenes at National Geographic

[LONDONER]

Well, you would too, wouldn't you?

[Genersis]

I probably would....

On a side note:
I thought running was a bad idea, as it sparks it into a chase, not to mention it can out run humans easy.
You're supposed to curl up into a ball(covering your neck with your hands) and play dead or something...
...
Or is that something else?

[Bowyn Aerrow]

No I would not run.

I have a fatal flaw in my 'self preservation' programing. I am attracted to dangerous critters. I am fascinated by snakes that rattle and have this strong desire to reach out and touch them the more they rattle, the more I want to pick them up, hug them hard, name them George and take them home.

I am equally fascinated by fur, fangs and claws. I have had close encounters with bears (within 50 feet, once within ten feet of a bear). I so badly wanted to get closer, touch them, pet them and get to know them.

However I wasn't thrown out into the wild without any basic skill training. If my father did anything right in raising me it was to teach me general respect of the territories of others in nature while camping/hiking/hunting.

If a bear was approaching me with a bit of anger (like this one) I know to drop and play dead - definitely don't turn your back and run. This isn't instinctual, this is education. Bears like the chase, as do most other predatory species, thus running incites them to want to play with you... or maul you - which is a sort of play.

http://www.mountainnature.com/wildlife/b...unters.htm lists what do to with bear encounters. One would think that people who are trained to go out in the wild with their soul stealing devices would already know how to deal with these sorts of situations.

If I was part of this group, I would have fallen to the ground and let the bear focus on the runners. And while the bear was busy ripping them to shreds I would document the scene and win the Nat-Geo Photographer/Video-ographer prize. :tongue:

[AlfredM]

I think I'll fake death,it's too much to out run a bear,LOL. :tongue:

[Geminize]

I probably would....

On a side note:
I thought running was a bad idea, as it sparks it into a chase, not to mention it can out run humans easy.
You're supposed to curl up into a ball(covering your neck with your hands) and play dead or something...
...
Or is that something else?

Depends on the kind of bear. If it's a black bear, yes, curl up and play dead. If it's a grizzly, you're in trouble.

The key is you don't have to outrun the bear, you only have to outrun your buddies. (The guy with the camera around his neck would be toast.)