Personally, if I ever encounter a grown polar bear in the wild, I will remember Jim's words of wisdom, "don't agitate the bear". Pretty easy thing to do when you think about it. btw. polar bears are smarter than a lot of people think.
Success at hunting seals may not be measured on a standard I. Q. test, but scientist Alison Ames considers it a sign of the polar bear's brain power.
As part of a study funded by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, Ames researched the behavior of captive polar bears in British zoos. She has seen her subjects stack heaps of pipes that they later knock over in elaborate games. She has also watched them smash open ice blocks in order to extract imbedded fish.
Her conclusion: the great white bears are just as smart as apes.
"This is learned behavior and reveals that polar bears are very intelligent animals," Ames told the London Observer. "They are highly cognitive creatures that top the food chain in polar regions. You have to be very clever to do that. Hunting and trapping a seal is no easy matter."
Because of the polar bear's intelligence, Ames favors a move away from the concrete cages of the past. "[Polar bears] respond well to stimulating environments," she says. "They like areas of sand, grass, and hard ground in their enclosures."
But, if If a Bear Approaches
Get into a vehicle and drive away.
Do not run, stand your ground unless you can move away slowly to a safe shelter. Drop a pack or item of clothing if retreating.
Gather together in a group, make yourself look bigger by holding a jacket over your head.
If the bear approaches, shout or make noise.
If a Bear Attacks
Find safe shelter.
Defend yourself.
If you encounter a female defending cubs: get away from the bears and remove yourself as a threat to the cubs. Do not fight back.
Source: Everythingyoueverwantedtoknowaboutpolarbears.com.
wil.