‘Aggressive’ bears charge at hikers, attack dog off Blue Ridge Parkway, rangers say
“Aggressive” bears charged at hikers and attacked a dog, prompting part of a trail to close in the North Carolina mountains, officials said.
The dog had to be euthanized after being attacked off the Blue Ridge Parkway, the National Park Service told McClatchy News in a June 23 email.
The bear encounters were reported from mid-May to early June along the Bull Mountain Trail. Now, a half-mile portion of the trail is shut down at mile marker 381, near the parkway’s Asheville Visitor Center.
Though the trail is expected to be closed through Friday, June 30, the road that runs through the area remains open. Rangers have urged visitors to review bear safety tips, as the animals look for food amid “increased visitor traffic on park trails and in park campgrounds.”
During the first “aggressive” encounter in the Bull Mountain Trail area, rangers said an “unleashed dog provoked a bear to attack a leashed dog that sustained serious injuries.” The injured dog was taken to a veterinarian and euthanized.
“In another instance, a bear bluff charged a hiker and her leashed dog,” the Blue Ridge Parkway wrote in its email. “In the third instance, a lone male hiker was bluff charged by a large bear, but he was able to scare the bear off.”
Experts say “bluff charges” happen when a bear tries to intimidate someone.
“When a bear bluff charges, it will have its head and ears up and forward,” the National Park Service wrote on its website. “The bear will puff itself up to look bigger. It will bound on its front paws toward you (moving in big leaps), but then stop short or veer off to one side. Often bears retreat after a bluff charge, or they may vocalize loudly.”
The three Asheville-area bear sightings weren’t the only ones along the parkway, which stretches 469 miles through the mountain scenery of North Carolina and Virginia.
“Several bear encounters have also been reported in campsites at Peaks of Otter Campground near Bedford, Virginia,” officials wrote in a news release. “There are currently no closures in this campground, and campers are educated upon check-in with bear safety information.”
North Carolina is home to black bears, which live in the western and eastern parts of the state but often avoid contact with people, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
What to do if you see a bear
Bear attacks in the U.S. are rare, according to the National Park Service. In most attacks, bears are trying to defend their food, cubs or space.
There are steps people can take to help prevent a bear encounter from becoming a bear attack.
Identify yourself: Talk calmly and slowly wave your arms. This can help the bear realize you’re a human and nonthreatening.
Stay calm: Bears usually don’t want to attack; they want to be left alone. Talk slowly and with a low voice to the bear.
Don’t scream: Screaming could trigger an attack.
Pick up small children: Don’t let kids run away from the bear. It could think they’re small prey.
Hike in groups: A group is noisier and smellier, the National Park Service said. Bears like to keep their distance from groups of people.
Make yourself look big: Move to higher ground and stand tall. Don’t make any sudden movements.
Don’t drop your bag: A bag on your back can keep a bear from accessing food, and it can provide protection.
Walk away slowly: Move sideways so you appear less threatening to the bear. This also lets you keep an eye out.
Again, don’t run: Bears will chase you, just like a dog would.
Don’t climb trees: Grizzlies and black bears can also climb.
This story was originally published June 23, 2023 at 3:30 PM with the headline "‘Aggressive’ bears charge at hikers, attack dog off Blue Ridge Parkway, rangers say."
