The Science of Scaring a 300-Pound Black Bear in a National Park

How do you scare a 300-pound black bear? This is not a riddle; it is what is in the best interest of the bear--and any nearby people. To keep bears at a safe distance from humans and sources of human food, national park personnel use various methods of aversive conditioning to scare these animals away. Pepper spray, chasing, and projectiles--shooting with rubber slugs, using slingshots, and throwing rocks--were the methods evaluated during a four-year study in Sequoia National Park, California.

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