Why Do We Fear Bears?

Excessive Warnings About Attacks

Attacks are rare and excessive warnings about them create unnecessary fear.

Balanced and factual information about bears is hard to find. Providing that information is the main goal of the North American Bear Center where the bears themselves provide much of the information through video footage and research data.

In national parks, many warnings are written by attorneys concerned about liability. The warnings often are excessive and too general to be educational. They usually do not distinguish between black and grizzly bears. Many of them, like warnings against camping during menstruation, are completely unfounded. Read more about this myth.

A well-known wildlife information center said that fear of lawsuits limits their bear information, which consists primarily of warnings.

Once warnings and advice are in print, well-meaning educators often repeat them in presentations, brochures, books, etc. Some authors and television producers emphasize danger because fear sells.