[pct-l] PCT bear attacks...........

[Bill Burge]

I dunno, some of these sound pretty serious:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/bear/bear_incidents.html

BillB



On May 24, 2010, at 1:46 PM, Eric Lee wrote:

> PCT MOM wrote:
>> 
> How many PCT hikers (or other humans) have been injured or killed by bears
> in the last 30 years ?
>> 
> 
> PCT hikers: none.
> 
> I researched the statistics for bear and mountain lion fatalities back in
> 2004.  I suppose the numbers are out of date now but still serve to make a
> point.  At the time of my research, there had never been *any* documented
> fatalities or serious injuries from black bears in California, ever.
> Looking more broadly, there had been a grand total of 11 fatalities from
> black bears in all of the lower 48 states in 103 years.  It appeared that
> mountain lion fatalities were more common than bear fatalities, at least in
> California (5 fatalities in 114 years in California, don't know about the
> lower 48).
> 
> Needless to say these numbers are *ridiculously* low.  Compare them to the
> ~50,000 automobile fatalities per year in the U.S., or ~73 lightning
> fatalities per year in the U.S.  PER YEAR!  Statistically, you're ~730 times
> more likely to die from a lightning strike than from a black bear attack.
> Think about that the next time you're pushing over a high Sierra pass in the
> afternoon, trying to beat those thunderheads on the horizon.
> 
> Eric
> 
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