Teddy Bear Picnic prompts bear safety discussion

EAGLE RIVER — The teddy bears at Bear Paw’s Teddy Bear Picnic were a diverse group. Some were big, some were small and some weren’t even teddy bears.

Stuffed unicorns and other non-conformist animals were peppered throughout the large crowd. This was an inclusive bunch so no one complained.

Complimentary food, a playdough station, and various free activities sponsored by local businesses kept most of the children happy. (The inevitable temper tantrum could be seen on the side lines.)

As hundreds of children lined up for the Teddy Bear Parade, it was evident that Alaskans love their bears. This year’s Bear Paw theme was “Saving Alaska, One Bear at a Time!”

In a summer with bear fatalities, maulings and a black bear which smashed through and entered an 11-year-old boy’s bedroom in south Anchorage, families were contemplating bear safety. Recent events served as a reminder that unlike their plush counterparts, real bears aren’t cute and cuddly.

“I’m more nervous than normal. We’re educating ourselves a little more,” said Narda Oteo of Palmer.

Meredith Yracheta of Eagle River was less concerned.

“No, they know to be bear aware,” she said in regards to her children.

When asked what to do if he saw a bear, her son, five-year-old Torin was quick with his answer.

“Run!” he said.

Yracheta winced.

“You’re not supposed to run,” she quickly corrected.

Theresa Weihrich of Eagle River has a new rule when her children go outside to play.

“We’re making sure they go out in threes,” she said.

Weihrich said she gives her kids “constant reminders of what to do if they see a bear.”

When asked how they would respond to a bear, her daughters had a variety of replies.

“Do I have a gun?” queried Selah, age 7.

“No,” Wiehrich said sternly. “You don’t have a gun.”

Selah adapted.

“Bear, go away!” she shouted.

“What color is the bear?” asked Marie, age 11. Like Many Alaskan children, Marie knows the rhyme: Brown, get down. Black, fight back.

Samantha Russell, a naturalist at the Eagle River Nature Center, would like families to focus less on what to do if approached by a bear and more on how to prevent the bear encounter in the first place.

“We’re not sneaky in the woods,” Russell suggested as a way to explain safe forest behavior to young children. She advised travelling in groups and encourages those groups to be rowdy.

“You’re making sure the bear has time to get away from you,” Russell said.

Residents can decrease the chance of a visit from a curious bear by putting away birdfeeders until the winter, keeping trash inside as long as possible on pick up days and storing anything odorous such as animal feed in a secure place. Russell described a bear’s sense of smell as more sensitive than that of a canine. Because of this, items such as an uncleaned grill could be enticing.

In the event of a bear encounter, Russell said to teach children to never run. They should stay calm and slowly move close to an adult. They should make themselves big and talk to the animal.

“We want them (the bears) to know we’re humans,” Russell shared.

Russell could not comment on this year’s bear activity in populated areas.

“At the Nature Center, we’re seeing the same amount,” she noted.

“It’s important to be aware of our surroundings but we shouldn’t be afraid to go outside,” Russell added.

Melinda Munson is a co-conspirator at alaskafamilyfun.com.