Another Danger of Bears- Getting Hit by Car

http://www.sacbee.com/827/v-print/story/1805684.html


Mom-to-be hit by car while fleeing bear is OK
Associated Press Writer
Published Thursday, Apr. 23, 2009
DENVER -- A pregnant woman who was fleeing a bear when she was struck by a slow-moving car said she would honor the euthanized animal by giving her baby the middle name "Bear."
Ashley Swendsen, 26, said she thought the bear followed her more out of curiosity than malice because it kept a distance of about 10 feet Thursday morning on a hiking trail in northwestern Colorado Springs.
As she ran, she thought, "If it was going to hurt me, it already would have."
Swendsen managed to scramble up an embankment and was crossing the street when she was hit by a slow-moving car. Although she was not seriously injured, she was taken to a hospital as a precaution because she was pregnant.......

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

Another example of "running is not the answer".

Too bad, it doesn't sound like the bear was being aggressive otherwise, but who knows. I'm surprised it didn't say what kind of bear; black or grizzly does make a difference, though running is not the solution for either.

'Way back in the old days, my stepfather told me if you had to outrun a bear, run downhill, because their back legs were longer and it's harder for them. I have no clue if there's any truth to that (he was a miner in Colorado, with lots of outdoor experience). I'm pretty skeptical that there's any truth to it, but I think 'play dead' was the choice if you couldn't outrun it...which is the current tactic with grizzlies, minus the running.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

I saw a story on TV that tested the "run downhill" theory. While correct that bears are slower downhill the difference between 35mph on the flat and 34mph downhill didn't seem be be much of an advantage for the fleeee.

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Old Dude

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mrcondron
I saw a story on TV that tested the "run downhill" theory. While correct that bears are slower downhill the difference between 35mph on the flat and 34mph downhill didn't seem be be much of an advantage for the fleeee.

I can't even keep up with a tabby cat running across the street...Its not likely I will offer any sort of challenge trying to out sprint bears...or LARGE kitty Kats (see Tom Disco's new Avatar B)

B

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mrcondron
I saw a story on TV that tested the "run downhill" theory. While correct that bears are slower downhill the difference between 35mph on the flat and 34mph downhill didn't seem be be much of an advantage for the fleeee.

Well, I guess there's a little truth to it then. Maybe if it was a really OLD bear that could only run 10mph on flat, there'd be a chance.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

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Sierrafan
Too bad, it doesn't sound like the bear was being aggressive

No, it just sounds like a black bear that was sharing the trail. So they killed it. Sigh.

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eeek

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Sierrafan
Too bad, it doesn't sound like the bear was being aggressive

No, it just sounds like a black bear that was sharing the trail. So they killed it. Sigh.

I heard a story from a ranger a couple of years ago, about someone seeing a bear following them, and as they continued on, the bear continued to follow. They sped up, and still, the bear continued behind them. They had been in an area of thick vegetation, and finally got to a clearing, where they went off to the side, exhausted. Then, here comes the bear, and right down the trail past them, and on its merry way.

Then he figured out that the trail they were on was the only place to walk; the bear had just been trying to get from point a to point b. They just happened to be in front of him, and there was no way for the bear to get past, so it just stayed behind until there was room.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo