North American Nature – Q&A about North American nature

Running away from any species of bear is a bad move. However, is it possible? There are three species of bear in North America. Bears have great speed for their size, as well as great endurance. It would not be possible to outrun a bear. Outrunning a bear is never a good idea. Here I will give you all the reasons why you should never attempt to outrun a bear. If you or someone you know loves bears then check out these great bear gifts on Amazon by clicking here How Fast Can A Bear Run? American Black Bear35 mphBrown Bear30 mphPolar Bear24 mph There are three bear species in North America; The American black bear, the brown grizzly bear, and the polar bear. The grizzly bear is the fastest of the three bear species in North America. The grizzly has been clocked at speeds of up to 56 km/h (35 mp/h), making them much faster than the other two species. The American black bear is the second fastest of the three species. The black bear can run at speeds between 40 and 48 km/h (25 to 30 mp/h) when they feel threatened. Polar bears are large animals but are extremely quick for their size. They have been seen to run at 40 km/h (24 mp/h). Brown bears eat more than just meat. If you want to know more then this article I wrote has you covered. How Fast Can An Average Human Run? The speed at which an average human can run depends on a few factors. The first is distance. Humans can run relatively fast over short distances at speeds of up to about 25 km/h (16 mp/h) over 100 meters. Over longer distances, the average speed of a human decreases. Why Are Bears So Fast? Bears are predators, not prey animals, but mainly use their speed to escape from other predators. Black bears rarely chase down other animals for food, whereas grizzly bears and polar bears may. Bears have huge, muscular legs that help to propel them forward at high speeds. Bears have longer back legs than front legs, helping them to achieve their fast speeds. If you have ever wondered why bears are mammals, I have written this article Can Bears Run Downhill? There is a myth that has been perpetuated surrounding this. The myth states that bears can’t run downhill, as their shorter forelegs will cause them to tumble. This is a myth and is false. In this article from the National Parks Service, J.M.Mackenzie described Clubfoot, a famous grizzly bear, as “able to keep pace with a horse going downhill, but not uphill.” Don't think that you will outrun a bear by having it chase you downhill. If anything, it will be quicker as it is going downhill. Can Usain Bolt Outrun A Bear? Usain Bolt is a multi-time World record holder. He has broken the world record for the fastest time over 100 meters and 200 meters. His speed was clocked at 44.72 km/h (27.8 mph) on 16 August 2009. The speed was taken between the 60 and 80 meters part of the 100 meters sprint. As discussed, a black bear can run as fast as 30 mp/h. It is very likely that over 100 or 200 meters, an American black bear would beat the fastest man in the World in a race. If Usain Bolt can’t outrun a black bear, the normal person does not have a chance at outrunning them or beating them in a race. Against a grizzly bear or polar bear, Usain would be left in the dust. Many people think that black bears only eat meat. However, their diet consists of many types of food. Find out more in this article I wrote How Far Can A Bear Run? I found an excellent article from the National Park Service, which I will summarize here. The bulletin is titled “The speed of grizzly bears.” In his book “Lives of Game Animals,” Ernest Thompson Seton said the following regarding the speed of the grizzly bear. “Swift too, is he, in amazing measure for his build. Those who form their idea of a bear’s speed from watching a hulking, slouching prisoner are sure to be amazed at the real thing. For 50 or 100 yards, a Grizzly can go faster than any horse and keep it up indefinitely. It is well known that in the spring of the year, the Indian ponies that have wintered out very commonly become the prey of the grizzly, who can now catch them on the open plain. Townsend tells of a wounded Grizzly that pursued a man on horseback closely for half a mile, snapping at the horse’s heels, and apparently would have captured the object of his wrath but for a timely volley from the man’s comrades.” In the same bulletin from 1937, there is a story of a female grizzly bear who had just woken up from hibernation with her cubs. Losing sight of her cubs due to the car going past, the mother chased the car at a speed of 45 km/h (27 mp/h) for a distance of two miles. If you think you have the speed to outrun a bear, then I am pretty sure you will not have the endurance to match. However… I found this news article in the Washington Post. Morinda Marube is a professional runner and said that he knows what to do when encountering a black bear. However, when faced with a black bear whilst on the run, he did the opposite of what he knows. He ran. During his 18-mile run, two black bears appeared. Knowing that the bears could climb trees, he decided to either run or swim in the lake. However, he couldn’t swim. He has passed a house 20 yards before, so he thought he would make it back to the house. As soon as he started running, the bears ran after him. The runner, Morinda Marube, told reporters that when he reached the house, the bears were within 10 yards of him. The house was unoccupied, so he unhooked the screen door and stepped inside the elevated porch. Although the bears could see him, the bears did not enter the porch; however, they did sniff him. The runner said that if the house had been any further than 20 yards away, the two black bears would have outrun him. Bears can often be seen playing with each other, but do you know why? Find out in this article I wrote Further Reading: https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/yell/vol14-1-2a.htm Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton. You can buy this on Amazon here.

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