If you are in a bus or car, simply relax and remember how lucky you are to see Sweden’s largest predator.
If you see a cub, resist the urge to approach it or try to take photos – the protective mother will be close by and may not understand your friendly intentions!
If you are camping, don’t leave food waste around your campsite. Bears have a keen sense of smell and it is important that Sweden’s bears remain shy and wild – associating the presence of humans with food would be catastrophic for Swedish bears and potentially dangerous for campers.
If you are picking berries there may be a slim chance of meeting a bear (as the bears love berries too!). Chances are great however that they will have heard or smelt you and decided to leave long before you arrive. If not, talk loudly to show your presence and leave the area slowly.
– If you find a bear resting or perhaps eating a kill, it is very important that the bear does not perceive you as a threat to its food. Stand as tall as you can, speak loudly and retrace your steps slowly. Do not run.
Almost all dangerous incidents with bears happen with wounded animals. Like any animal, fear and pain will make it aggressive. If the bear starts to come towards you, then it has perceived your presence as a threat. Talk loudly and leave slowly, but do not hit or threaten the bear, and do not run.
If the unlikely happens and you are attacked, try to distract the bear by placing an object (a rucksack or fishing equipment) between you and the animal. If this fails, lie down on the ground face down on your stomach. Cover your neck with your hands and protect your head, and “play dead”. Making yourself as small as you can and behaving as passively as possible will help to persuade the bear that you are not a threat.
