You are right. It's not unheard of...but it's uncommon.

Bears are walking garbage cans. They will eat anything they come across, dead or alive, animal, vegetable or even occasionally mineral. They will eat carrion, and will often return to a kill to feed on it. Delicacy is not one of their trademarks.

Why would bears NOT eat humans??? Meat is meat.

Here is an interesting article from National Geographic on recent predator attacks on people, although it doesn't enumerate how many were eaten: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/08/0827_wirepredators_2.html

Sue

Actually that's a good point. I base my opinion on the fact that when there is a bear attack the person is almost always found (dead or alive) uneaten.

Maybe the Grizzlies are eating some of them...it's far less likely that anybody would know since there's no body to find.

Timothy Treadwell was eaten. Now, he was pretty insane and put himself in danger, but that's another story. They killed the bear and found Treadwell's remains inside the gut.

I'd consider Timothy to be an exception to the rule...he had built a relationship of sorts with these bears.

Yes. The same relationship I have built up with my morning bagel. Most of the time I dont eat it, but sometimes I do.

I hope I'm not quoting you out of context. But I firmly believe the equation is a lot more compex than that.

Humans, more often than not, project the 'body language' of Predator, not Prey. It's not necessarily about our size, or strength (physically, we're quite unimpressive). But (as one highly experienced author suggests) this protects us in a lot of situations where (based on strength and body weight) we would otherwise be obvious and easy food sources.

To that end, I think most bear attacks are in fact defensive (taking out a rival or threat, or protecting my food source) rather than predatory (mmm, easy lunch!).

Bears, like people, are individuals, and each one will do the 'mental math' of risk-vs.-reward differently. So there are always exceptions to the rule.

Some also suggest that the 'math' in a bear's head changes depending on how you act -- that is, your body language. I believe this, knowing that the right 'attitude' physically and vocally will rout a 2,000 lb. Holstein bull who is seriously p***ed off; or that my Great Danes (two big marshmallows) can tell instantly if you are 'top dog' or 'scared to death.'

This website helps to dispel many bear myths.

Also this wikipedia page lists by decade, some known bear attack fatalities. It is interesting to see us Canadians are bears most fav diet!

Having spent year outdoors in bear rich country and have had many opportunties to see and study bears up close, I must say I am not scared of bears, but have a healthy respect for them. In terms of survival while out in the wilderness, for me there are higher priorities then bear attacks to also think about.

Pretty basic, as far as bear myths go; but yeah, all valid.

I agree with you: I am respectful of bears, and walk with a high degree of awareness, but I don't stay out of the woods. In fact, their presence makes me a little more alive as I walk; I'm more immersed in the landscape and the experience. To me, wild bears are a true symbol of wilderness. If you want to visit true wilderness, expect the possibility of bears in the area. Otherwise, drive to the mall and go a-shopping.

It's worth noting that extensive efforts are taken in Canadian Parks to keep bears truly wild. I support that wholeheartedly; my camps are a model of 'bear discipline.' Bears outside the parks can be a mixed bag, since they can be exposed to sloppily-disposed-of human garbage and non-natural food sources. A habituated bear can become a very serious problem, because their behaviour is less predictable.

In Alaska, the bear researchers do carry guns.

Making yourself smaller in any bear encounter seems a bad idea from everything I have read in the past, unless already attacked by a brown bear (play dead). I take that from the myth talking about making oneself smaller in a bear encounter when cubs are nearby. That may be debateable.

In Alaska and in the SEKI area of California, some of the "myths" may not apply.