Thread 5066765

I thought polar bears were supposed to be these unstoppable death machines that will instantly murk a human if they see one but I was listening to an account of a stranded Arctic expedition from ~1900 and the explorers are constantly writing about how they'd scare off polar bears by just coming close and making loud noises, it was almost a daily occurrence.

>>5066765 (OP)
They wouldnt be scared of you

>>5066765 (OP)
>a few guys and their big pile of gear making noise
confusing and scary, run away
>a single guy making noise
confusing but maybe edible, investigate

>>5066765 (OP)
Polar bears are predatory but not territorial or confrontational. Bear spray is more likely to ward off a polar bear than a black bear. Grizzlies bully polar bears double their size all the time

>>5066765 (OP)
Finish listening to it, dipshit. The explorer who did that ended up (likely) getting mauled to death, along with his friend beside him, if you're thinking of the video I'm thinking of.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umX6Euh3B-g

>>5066765 (OP)
Without doing any research I 'd guess that it's because polar bears are obligate predators in a harsh biome with low prey density. The distances and difficulty involved in prey acquisition mean polar bears have less tolerance for injury than brown ones, who live in richer environments with a greater variety and abundance of viable prey items. Brown bears also have better carcass utilization (polars are extremophiles who have evolved to target and digest fat and other energy dense tissues in response), can subsist almost entirely on plant matter, and are kleptoparasites, so even permanent injury doesn't preclude reproductive success. If a polar bear can't hunt, it can't live. However, a single human would present a low risk and low effort meal even to an individual with no prior knowledge of us, and may be taken in the absence of more familiar prey.

>>5068962
Also, people typically carrying food with them in the arctic. Why the fuck would the polar bear waste energy fighting/killing the person when it can slink off and try to steal the food again at a different time?

Polars are the only species of bears that are both hypercarnivores and are known to specifically hunt humans. If a hungry polar bear has easy distance lone human, it's pretty much a free meal.

animals only go after people if they are hungry or threatened, otherwise it is a direct waste of energy
polar bears are known to hunt people, so they weren't hungry in that case

>>5066765 (OP)
https://archive.is/ZXy9i

https://archive.is/ZXy9i

https://archive.is/ZXy9i
https://archive.is/ZXy9i
https://archive.is/ZXy9i
https://archive.is/ZXy9i

>>5069912
Impressive toss of that hay bale.

>>5066765 (OP)
For polar bears use a flare gun (long distance, no risk of a fire)
For grizzlies use bear spray (they like hiding in the brush so you can't see them easily)
For black bears just yell at them (they're pussies)
A gun with the right ammo (hardcast/mono metal) works for all of them doe

>>5066765 (OP)
That's what reddit does. It's all lies.

>>5066765 (OP)
https://youtu.be/30xDh8xUQGQ
They seem pretty friendly as long as they aren't angry, hungry or think you look tasty.