Ironraven said it: "Humans fear the unknown".

I've taken urban professionals camping and discovered that they stayed awake all night in fear of the coyotes that were periodically yipping. Coyotes! They said they thought they were wolves. (groan, shaking head) Like wolves are any more dangerous than coyotes, which aren't.

The only reason the news media exists is to sell advertising. Car crashes happen multiple times a day. Unless human heads are rolling around an intersection, it isn't news. Real news is animal attacks, lost fools who should have stayed home, and other sundry (preferably gory) events that allow people who wouldn't be caught dead in the wilderness to live vicariously for a few moments without any danger to themselves.

That being said, I'm not fond of bears. Esp garbage-can bears.

Sue