3/2/10
Three species of bears live in North
America- the polar bear, the brown
or grizzly bear, and the black bear
but only one inhabits the woods around
Camp Mason- the black bear. At up
to 600 pounds, these mammals are certainly
the biggest animals around so it’s
natural to feel a bit intimidated
by them. However, if you see a bear
around camp it is actually more afraid
of you than you are of it!
Black bears are omnivorous, eating
mostly plants, berries, seeds, and
nuts. The rest of their diet consists
of insects and occasionally small
mammals and road kill. They are opportunistic
feeders, eating whatever provides
the most calories and requires the
least amount of energy to obtain.
This is why garbage is so tempting
to them- grabbing a trash bag full
of leftover goodies outside a cabin
is almost effortless! Bears have an
impressive memory and will come back
to an easy feeding spot time and time
again- even if the bear is relocated
miles away. Once a bear is used to
eating garbage it is very difficult
to re-train them to eat their natural
diet. The best way to keep bears away
from humans is to make trash inaccessible.
Our efforts at doing this at Camp
Mason include bear resistant trash
cans, locking up our dumpsters, and
getting the word out to our guests.
No one in the history of the state
of New Jersey has ever been seriously
injured by a black bear. In fact,
fewer than 60 people in the US have
been killed by black bears in the
past 100 years. Black bears are generally
not aggressive towards humans. The
idea of a mother defending her cubs
is a myth; the mother will send her
cubs up a nearby tree then run away.
So, what should you do if you see
a bear? If it hasn’t seen you
then feel free to observe it for a
moment. Note how quietly it walks
around and how it sniffs the air.
Then do your best to scare it away.
Yell, blow a whistle, stomp your feet
on the ground, and wave your arms.
The idea is to have the bear associate
humans with danger so they stay away
and in their natural habitat. If you’ve
ever seen one of our staff members
yelling into the woods, they’re
not crazy- they’re just doing
their part! If the bear makes any
noises or scratches the ground it’s
because they’re scared and are
looking for the best escape route.
Bears around camp are looking for
an easy meal- not to harm anyone.
During your visit to Camp Mason do
your part and keep all food and trash
inside and consider yourself lucky
if you spot one of these shy animals!
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