I officially sound like one of Santa’s reindeer. That’s all I can think about as I carry my new “bear bells” around with me. Then again, I’d rather sound like a reindeer than get mauled by a bear.. The truth about bears out here is that you’re not likely to get attacked by a bear as long as you don’t go out searching for them. That’s not to say you want to startle one if there happens to be one close to the village; something that happens quite often.While I was at inservice talking about all the ways to stay safe out in the villages, we talked about bears and how to avoid a run in with one.
One of the most important things to do out here in the villages is to make noise whenever you’re walking around (especially if you’re out on your own). You’re supposed to sing or make noise, or as crazy as it sounds, talk to the bears. This way, if you’re in an area that does not provide a clear line of sight to any wildlife, you can warn them of your presence. Providing them with a sound to let them know you’re in the area is usually a way to make them hunker down or go in the other direction.
However, this isn’t to say that if you make noise that you’ll never have a run in with a bear. One of the session leaders at inservice shared more than one story about close calls with bears. Clearly he survived all of them, but let’s just say I don’t want to have any stories like his. So I sing, I make sure my feet hit the gravel extra loud, I talk to the bears (the day they talk back to me is when I’ll know I’ve been out here to long), and now thanks to my handy dandy bear bell, I sound like one of the reindeer on Santa’s sleigh. I don’t know how much more sound I could make while running along without the villagers thinking I’m a lunatic. Then again I’d rather they think I’m crazy and wear these bells than to face the alternative of crossing paths with a bear (although I’m determined to see one from a safe distance, in a truck, this weekend).
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