Bonus Episode: Bear Behavior and the Recent Montana Grizzly Mauling

Most interactions between humans and bears result in no harm to either party. However, aggressive bears can occasionally pose a serious threat to human well-being, such as occurred in a recent attack in the Montana backcountry. In this bonus episode, bear behavior expert Dr. Tom Smith of Brigham Young University sheds light on what may have spurred the attack and shares recommendations for avoiding negative interactions with bears when traveling in their habitats. Read Dr. Smith's earlier work in BioScience on polar bears. Read Dr. Smith's work on bear spray efficacy. Read Dr. Smith's work on firearm efficacy against aggressive bears. Subscribe on iTunes. Subscribe on Stitcher.