Ends of the Earth

“Maggie’s my daughter, actually. I’m Jason Kellerman, by the way.” He extended his hand, and Ben shook it firmly. Ben’s palm was slightly callused, and a strange, tingly warmth skittered up Jason’s arm.

“Nice to meet you both. My apologies for the assumption.” His brow had furrowed, but he didn’t stare at them with disdain or judgement the way some people did.

Jason waved his hand. “It’s okay, we get that a lot. Maggie, what did you want to ask?”

She bounced on her toes. “Okay, so if we see a grizzly bear, will it try and eat us?”

Ben looked thoughtful. “Well, little girls do taste awfully good.”

Maggie giggled. “Be serious. Would it really try and eat me?”

Ben dropped the teasing tone. “The simple answer is: maybe. But remember that bear attacks are extremely rare. If you’re sensible and take precautions, you’ll be just fine. Most bears want nothing to do with us.”

She persisted. “But what if you do everything right and still run into a bear?”

“If you see a bear in the wild, the first thing to remember is not to run. It’ll go against all your instincts, but if you run, the bear will follow, and believe me—bears can outrun anyone.”

Jason tried to laugh. “Gee, that’s a comforting thought.”

Ben smiled at him. “Don’t worry, grizzly attacks really are rare. So if you see one, first you assess the situation. How far away is the bear? Has it spotted you? If it hasn’t, back away slowly. Remember, don’t run. Now, if the bear does see you, just stay still, and talk to it in a calm voice. Bears don’t see very well, so it could help to let it know you’re a human by talking.”

“Could help?” Jason asked.

Ben spread his hands wide. “I’m afraid there are no guarantees when dealing with the wild.” He smiled again, and Jason’s stomach flip-flopped oddly. Talk of bears always made him nervous.

“Daaad, stop interrupting!” Maggie eagerly waited for Ben to continue.

Jason made a zipping-his-lips motion as Ben said, “Okay, so once it’s clear that the bear’s getting aggressive and not leaving, try and make yourself look as big and threatening as possible. Wave your coat over your head and shout, and hopefully the grizzly will decide you’re not worth its while.”

“Maggie, remind me why we came to Montana?” Jason teased. She shushed him.

“Like I said, no guarantees,” Ben added. “If the bear charges, then spray it with bear repellent. Basically pepper spray. Much more effective in a bear attack than a gun.”

Jason frowned. “Do many people here carry guns?”

“It’s unfortunately legal now in national parks. We discourage it, but that doesn’t mean visitors listen to us. You can be a great shot on the range, but it’s a different story when a six-hundred pound grizzly is charging. Bear spray is far more effective.”

“We have some!” Maggie proudly patted Jason’s backpack.

“Excellent. And if the bear is still in the vicinity after you spray, it’s time to curl up in a ball and play dead. Hug your knees to your chest and keep your head tucked in. If you have a pack on, you can lie on your stomach with your hands over the back of your neck. If you’re lucky, the pack will take the brunt of any attack.”

Maggie looked thoughtful. “How long do you play dead for?”

“For as long as you have to. Even after you think the bear’s gone, wait a long while before you move. It’s entirely possible that the bear’s waiting nearby to make sure the threat—that’s you—has been contained. And if playing dead doesn’t dissuade it and the attack continues, you have to fight back.”

“But the bears around here must be pretty used to people. They can’t be that dangerous, right?” Jason asked hopefully.

“Actually that’s when bears are the most deadly, and grizzlies are dangerous no matter what.” Ben patted Jason’s arm, fingers squeezing the bare skin just below Jason’s T-shirt sleeve. “Don’t worry. Like I said, attacks are really rare. Although to properly answer Maggie’s initial question, there have been rare instances of bears stalking people with the sole purpose of eating them. In those cases, you’ll probably never see the attack coming.”

Jason shuddered. “‘Stalking.’ Wonderful.”

Maggie bit her lip. “But that won’t happen in the campground, right?”

Ben shook his head. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. You’re locking up your food tightly?”

She nodded. “Yes! We’re being very careful.”

“Then I’m sure you don’t have anything to worry about.” Ben squeezed her shoulder.

Just then a group of kids nearby whooped with excitement, circled around something on the ground. Maggie switched gears effortlessly as she ran over to see what was going on, any worry over bears forgotten.

Jason laughed. “Sorry, she has an insatiable quest for knowledge. This is basically her Disneyland. She’s obsessed with national parks and mountains. When she was little we rented a nature DVD from the library and I ended up buying her a copy. She pretty much wore it out and the interest never faded.”