tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post4178710387635309064..comments2024-02-20T15:17:48.594+11:00Comments on A.E.Brain: A Bear of Very Little BrainZoe Brainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13712045376060102538noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-49724135632216159672009-07-29T16:24:44.220+10:002009-07-29T16:24:44.220+10:00Nancy! Good to have you back.Nancy! Good to have you back.Zoe Brainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13712045376060102538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-82082949878057554702009-07-29T12:42:32.486+10:002009-07-29T12:42:32.486+10:00My bear story. Many years ago, I was hiking Yosem...My bear story. Many years ago, I was hiking Yosemite NP, and was taking a two or three day hike up Half Dome. (If you're not scared standing near the lip of Half Dome, you're not human!) Anyways, my first campground was bear country and the rangers said to put food up on the cables. I got there, dropped my pack and went to the bathroom in the latrine. By the time I walked out, a bear had knocked my pack down, and I watched it put it's paw on the zipper to the food area. Popped the zipper open and caught a claw on the fabric. Contrary to good behaviour, I started to yell and the bear looked at me and said "that's one crazy human" and walked away.<br /><br />NancyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-38474998721052308612009-07-29T12:15:47.439+10:002009-07-29T12:15:47.439+10:00When I visited Yosemite I noticed the bear proof b...When I visited Yosemite I noticed the bear proof bins. They relied on manipulative abilities that humans have and bears do not. To open you had to reach in through a slot under the lid and manipulate something on its underside. To do so you have to rotate your forearm. A bear cammot do that, at least not enough to operate the bin.Lloyd Flackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00832519369660328832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-55574894212514437942009-07-29T05:08:29.832+10:002009-07-29T05:08:29.832+10:00“I don’t think she’s smarter than most bears,” he ...<i>“I don’t think she’s smarter than most bears,” he said.</i><br /><br />"most bears"? I believe the proper ending to this phrase would be, "the average bear".<br /><br />Still, I'm thinking that repeating the same locking mechanism *a second time* against an animal that has shown it can defeat said mechanism truly assumes human superiority. <br /><br /><i>“I think she’s had more time to learn.”</i><br /><br />Except, of course, for those *other* bears, the ones that learned (apparently quickly) from her how to open the canisters.<br /><br />Park Rangers...kinda remind me of the APA.SarasNavelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14536453202054024597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-90542639077491352902009-07-29T01:22:24.164+10:002009-07-29T01:22:24.164+10:00Lock opening bears, jar opening and shelter constr...Lock opening bears, jar opening and shelter constructing octopi, tool using and making not just apes but birds and lets not forget the birds with good maths skills, fish that learn from older fish their migration patterns...<br /><br />Well my health problems won't let me go vegetarian so hurry up and perfect that cloned vat-meat so I can eat more ethically dammit!Battybattybatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18030389503526882755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-58184971672975053112009-07-29T01:11:18.313+10:002009-07-29T01:11:18.313+10:00Oh - I forgot. The thinking on bear attacks is tha...Oh - I forgot. The thinking on bear attacks is that you should fight for your life whenever a bear attacks you.<br /><br />Go figure...<br />Carolyn AnnAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00333372966116029977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-64834828788926391032009-07-29T01:10:23.872+10:002009-07-29T01:10:23.872+10:00OMG you've quoted the NYT!
:)OMG you've quoted the NYT! <br /><br />:)Danielle Murrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05823883629914879569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5573426.post-44898331985018211162009-07-29T01:09:54.813+10:002009-07-29T01:09:54.813+10:00I found the article intriguing. I do a lot of camp...I found the article intriguing. I do a lot of camping in bear country, and I've heard enough anecdotes to convince me that the bag on a rope thing doesn't work. (I heard of a large black bear in Montana that climbed the tree where the food was stored, and simply knocked the tree branch down!)<br /><br />Bears are intelligent, and they do show an ability to learn. Obviously, one or two bears are going to be the Einstein's of the species. Heck, you can see a strong learning ability in two or three of our cats! Jeremy, a big handsome, intelligent, hunk if there ever was one, has shown he can figure things out. <br /><br />I'm not sure about the advice of "run away" if you come across a bear. While it's potentially less harmful than the old, stupid, "play dead" routine, running away should be accompanied by a large weapon, and a lot of looking back. Bears are fast, nimble and superb trackers. The biggest problem is that some black bears (the most dangerous sort) are easy to figure out, but not all of them are - some of them have brown pelts. It's best to think of all bears as dangerous! I carry a big knife when I'm camping in bear country...<br /><br />Carolyn AnnAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00333372966116029977noreply@blogger.com