Teen Wrestlers, Mountain Climbers and Kids: Why Are Bears Attacking Now?

Bear attacks are on the rise. As we move into late October, the animals are doing everything they can to prepare for the winter, seeking shelter and food, and venturing closer to human habitations.

In the last week alone, at least three bear attacks have been reported across the U.S.

The first was in Montana, when a 51-year-old hunter was attacked by a nearly 700-pound grizzly bear in Glacier National Park.

"Bear attacks happen every year in Montana," Greg Lemon, a spokesperson from Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, told Newsweek. "They are rare, though, considering the number of people out recreating in bear country."

On October 15, teenage wrestler, Brady Lowry, was attacked by a grizzly bear in Wyoming. "It came at me and charged me and tackled me off this cliff into this gully," Brady told KSL TV. "It shook me around and I didn't know what to do."

The next day, in Connecticut, a 10-year-old boy was mauled by a 250-pound black bear while playing in his grandparents' yard. In each case, the victims survived with non-life-threatening injuries.

These examples are not isolated to the U.S. In Japan, a climber was attacked by a black bear as he scaled the ridge of Mount Futago. He was able to fight off the bear and caught the whole incident on camera.

Entering a State of Hyperphagia

"Bears are more active this time of year as they spend more time eating and looking for food in anticipation of winter when they go into their dens," Lemon said. "However, they're not more aggressive this time of year."

John Livingston, a spokesperson for Colorado's Department of Natural Resources, said that between summer and fall, his department received an increase in sightings of bears and bear activity. "We typically start to get more bear activity reported in July and it lasts through mid- to late-October," he told Newsweek.

"In September, the bears go into what's called "hyperphagia" where their internal clock tells them it is time to really pack on weight before the arrival of winter. They will survive on those fat reserves until coming out of their dens the following spring.

"They will eat as much as 20,000 calories a day and search for food for up to 20 hours a day to get this done. If there are not enough natural food sources—acorns, chokecherries, berries—in the wilderness for these bears, they will start to come into residential areas more often."

Increasing Levels of Human Contact

Heidi Quine, the director for the Bear and Vet team at Animals Asia, explained why the frequency of these encounters is increasing. "As human populations expand and encroach on dwindling wild bear habitats, the interface between human settlements and bear territory is increasing," she told Newsweek.

"This increases the likelihood of bears coming into contact with humans as they search for food.

"Food left out for dogs or cats and compost piles, including kitchen scraps, can attract bears, who have a sense of smell so sensitive it's hard for us to measure just how powerful it is."

As a result, bears are becoming less wary of humans, explained Dana Wilson, a spokesperson for the conservation group Wildlife SOS.

"There are more people living and recreating in traditional bear habitats, and wildlife spaces are shrinking. As bears become habituated to people, they become less fearful," he told Newsweek. "When people are careless and leave trash or food unsecured, bears come for an easy—and unhealthy—meal."

How To Protect Yourself

A study in 2019 showed that when bears ate more human food, they began to hibernate for shorter periods of time, and even exhibited signs of increased cellular aging.

"People can take simple and practical steps to keep themselves, their families, and bears safe," Quine said.

"The first step is keeping the home area clean and tidy. Rubbish and food items should be stored in a bear-proof enclosure or container. Any food offered to companion animals should not be left outside unattended—bring it inside once cats and dogs have finished eating. Doors and windows of homes and garages should be closed and locked when residents are not nearby."

Mostly Innocuous

Fortunately, the vast majority of human-bear interactions are innocuous, Livingston said. "So far this year, we have had 4,009 reports to Colorado Parks and Wildlife regarding bear activity. Of those, more than 2,500 were simply to report a sighting, whereas only 108 were to report some kind of aggressive behavior either toward livestock, pets or humans.

"If someone finds themselves in danger in the wild because of a bear, they should yell, blow a whistle, clap their hands and make other loud noises to try to keep the bear away. If a bear is around someone's home, they should call their local wildlife office immediately to report it."

In cases where an interaction results in an altercation, it is very rare for the bear to instigate the attack without some sort of provocation, Wilson said.

"A vast majority of these confrontations are bears acting defensively, scared, or protecting young ... We're dangerous animals ourselves." Quine agreed: "While, of course, dangerous for humans, human-bear conflict is more often fatal for bears."