Wildlife Safety 101: Tips and best practices for recreating near wildlife
Conservation Northwest / Sep 21, 2020 / Recreation, Wilderness
New video features Conservation Northwest staff sharing tips and best practices for avoiding negative encounters with wildlife.
If you do come across an animal, remember the golden rules:
- Stay calm
- Let animals know you’re human
- Be loud
- Be big
- Don’t run
- Don’t turn your back, and move away slowly.
This video was created to be used during a Wildlife Safety 101 presentation during Refuge Outdoor Festival, a 3-day camping experience geared toward people of color. Video produced by Keiko Betcher, Heather Hutchison and Laurel Baum of Conservation Northwest.
Additional Resources:
- If you are hiking in bear country, we don’t recommend relying on bear bells alone. Human voices are the best way to alert bears of your presence. More information here: https://www.backpacker.com/news-and-events/do-bear-bells-really-work
- Wildlife body language: https://www.backpacker.com/survival/wildlife-body-language
- Bear body language: http://westernwildlife.org/grizzly-bear-outreach-project/bear-safety/
- Mountain lion body language: http://westernwildlife.org/cougar-outreach-project/cougar-safety/
- How to set up a food hang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izsczsMCf_o