A man was injured by a black bear at a campground near Young last week, and though such incidents are exceedingly rare, it's important to take precautions.
According to azcentral, the 20-year-old man was in a sleeping bag when the bear "nipped" at his rear end through the bag, puncturing his skin. The man and other campers then shouted and scared the bear away.
The bear likely wasn't fully grown and may have been displaced by wildfires burning nearby, the report said. The Arizona Game and Fish Department later caught and euthanized the bear, which it said could have posed a threat to public safety.
To repeat, such encounters are rare in Arizona. Black bears, the only bear species still found in Arizona, generally steer clear of humans. To minimize the chance of a run-in with a bear, Game and Fish recommends that anyone spending time in areas where bears are present do the following:
- Secure all potential food sources, and keep a clean camp with food and trash stored away from a tent or sleeping area.
- Wash up to rid the body of odors before going to bed.
- Carry bear spray. If you are attacked by a bear, fight back aggressively and use the spray.
- In the event of an encounter, try to look as big as possible, make loud noises and throw objects toward the bear. Do not run.
For information about bear encounters in urban areas, visit the Game and Fish Living With Wildlife website.