Just Visiting

Have you seen this incredible video of a bear waddling up next to wild Life Photographer Drew Hammond? In Alaska in 2018, Hammond set up his camera by a river where he knew bears were catching salmon. It is both cute and incredibly scary, especially when the bear walks behind Hammond before making his way to the river to join his friends. (1)

In another video that gained attention in July of 2020, a woman hiking with some friends in Chipinque Ecological Park (Mexico) was approached by a black bear. The bear seemed especially interested this one woman in particular and when he sniffed her hair, she snapped a selfie. According to a statement on the park’s website, the bear was displaying “an abnormal behavior caused by human beings.” (2)

It is not surprising that in both of these incidents, the people were not harmed. According to petpedia.co, there are only about 40 bear attacks around the world every year. In fact, between 2000 and 2016, only twenty-three bear attacks were fatal (roughly one each year) and the deceased were usually found near bears with cubs indicating that the bears were trying to defend their young. (3)

Humanity’s Overreach

While people may be relatively safe when encountering a bear in its natural habitat, according to the World Wildlife Fund, the exact opposite is happening when looking at animal safety in the presence of people.

Human activity is the biggest cause of habitat loss for the animals of our planet. Agriculture is the biggest culprit with more than 170.000 kilometers of forests and woodlands cleared annually to make space for farming. Humans, over the course of time have cleared about half of the world’s forests, resulting in thousands of plants and animals being displaced. According to The International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2,000 mammals around the globe are affected by habitat loss. (4)

In the United States, bears have no doubt been affected by land development, but it’s the coyote – who roamed the prairie deserts and North American forests and mountains – that has been most affected. But, because of this animal’s ability to adapt, their population has actually increased in recent years, and can be found now in cities like Los Angeles or small towns like Provincetown, MA, where they survive on almost anything from insects and lizards to rabbits, fish, scavenging through trash – and even pets dogs or cats. (5)

Sir Attenborough Has Some Advice

For almost seventy years, David Attenborough has explored the planet and brought the world along with him as he visits remote islands or hikes through the rainforest. At ninety-four years of age, he’s still committed to documenting the incredible biodiversity of our planet, and teaching us how to repair some of the damage humans have caused on our planet.

According to Sir Attenborough, “Redemption depends on a complete shift to renewable energy and an end to our reliance on fossil fuels.” But, he acknowledges, in order for this to happen, the people of the world need to re-evaluate their priorities. “The time has come to put aside national ambitions and look for an international ambition of survival.” (6)

There are several organizations devoted protecting the planet and creating sustainable ways of living with our animal neighbors. If you’ve got additional questions or an interest in contributing to a cause, or volunteering to help, check out The Climate Action Network (usclimatenetwork.org) where more than 185 organizations are listed.