Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
to trigger an instinctive predator-prey response causing the bear to chase the run-
ner. If a bear does attack, curl up in a ball with your hands behind your back and
play dead or lie face down with your hands behind your head. The fetal position is
claimed to protect vital organs. The advice suggests that the bear will
usually
stop
attacking once it realizes that the victim is no longer a threat. If the bear is a black
bear, some experts advise not to play dead but to fight with whatever means are
available.
The use of bear pepper spray has been recommended for people who frequent
bear country, some claiming that, statistically, it is substantially more effective in
preventing a mauling than firearms. It is important to only select pepper spray reg-
istered with the EPA for use on bears. If pepper spray is carried, it must not be
kept in a backpack or other inaccessible location. It must be in a hip or chest hol-
ster where it is immediately available for use. The best sprays are claimed to have
a range of about 30 feet. One downside to using pepper spray is that the wind may
be blowing from the bear toward the sprayer, and spraying into the wind might
cause the sprayer, not the bear, to become incapacitated. This would be doubly
unfortunate for the victim.
One downside to using pepper spray is that the wind may be blowing from
the bear toward the sprayer, and spraying into the wind might cause the
sprayer, not the bear, to become incapacitated.
There have been an increased number of sightings of mountain lions in popu-
lated areas, primarily in the west and on the west coast (Fig.
10.11
). Nevertheless,
mountain lion attacks on humans are quite rare. The animals are carnivores and
feed primarily on deer, helping to keep populations under control. Mountain lions
will also kill domestic animals and pets. A mountain lion is capable of killing prey
much larger than itself. The increased sightings may be evidence that, in future,
it will be more likely for surveyors working in these areas to encounter mountain
lions.
Unlike bear attacks, which are usually defensive, when a mountain lion attacks
a human, it is probably looking for a meal. Mountain lions depend on stealth to
get close to a victim before charging. They can sprint 50 MPH and jump 40 feet.
They tend to attack from hiding places such as tall grass or embankments run-
ning alongside a trail. Once the prey is seized, a mountain lion will drag the prey
to a place of safety before eating it. Experts say that attacks are more likely when
a person is alone rather than in a group, although several recently documented
attacks seem to have taken place with more than one person in the immediate
vicinity.
Attacks tend to occur at dawn and dusk. People are advised never to turn their
back on a mountain lion, although the creatures are so stealthy that it seems likely
a victim will not even be aware of the predator until it is already on their back.
It is also recommended that if attacked, the person should not run, they should
