[Tennessee Trails News] New Day Hiking and Wildlife video as we look toward autumn

[Ron Dunn]

June 30, 2010

Know Before You Go!
Helpful Info from Recent Smokies' Press Releases
June 30, 2010
Source-  Nancy Gray (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)

A NEW PODCAST EMPHASIZES BEAR SAFETY

A video podcast, Day Hiking and Wildlife, associated with the recently
launched program "Reward Yourself - Hike the Smokies Challenge", is now
available for viewing.  This 6-minute podcast is the second of a three-part
series on hiking safety and informs the viewer of wildlife behavior,
particularly black bears, and the appropriate responses and regulations to
be followed by Park visitors.  The podcast, developed by Great Smoky
Mountains Association, is attractively done and illustrated with beautiful
footage of the Smoky Mountains and wildlife, and can be viewed at
http://thegreatsmokymountains.org/hike_smokies_challenge

The chance of seeing wildlife in the backcountry is one of the exciting
things about hiking, but it is important to understand the rules and
regulations and proper etiquette for a safe and rewarding experience when
visiting.  The video podcast is an indepth educational piece about bear
country and sets up practical advice and emphasizes Park regulations for
keeping bears wild and away from people and developed areas.  Kim Delozier,
the Park's chief wildlife biologist, is featured in the podcast and
emphasizes the responses people should make and actions to take if
encountered by a bear on a trail.

Avoiding bear problems always starts with keeping food and garbage away from
bears.  Once bears obtain human food, they lose their fear of people and can
cause problems or pose risks to people.  Never feed bears or discard of food
scraps such as fruit rinds along a trail.  Backcountry users should never
approach bears and always keep a safe distance.

It is required that people do not approach within 50 yards or closer or any
distance that displaces or disturbs a bear. "If the animal changes its
behavior, e.g. stops feeding or changes directions, you are too close,"
explains Delozier.  He continued, "Human/bear conflicts have resulted in
people getting injured, but if you follow the advice of how to respond to
bear encounters provided in the video, you will minimize your chances of
being harmed and maximize the chances of the bear keeping wild and away from
people."

 "We hope that this video will be another tool to help hikers safely observe
wildlife in its natural habitat which is one of the privileges we gain by
preserving this great landscape for all to enjoy," said Cathleen Cook, Chief
of Resource Education.