You’ve bought questions; the bear has solutions. Bear Month 2025 is right here, and that implies that our resident bruin recommendation columnist is as soon as once more fielding your queries about bear biology, security, and extra. Learn on for the newest, or take a look at the remainder of our Bear Month tales.
Q: Are you able to get rabies like raccoons, bats, or skunks? — Rabid Fan
A: Somewhat germ, take huge, dangerous me down? Effectively, sure. We bears aren’t as invincible as our PR crew makes us out to be. We are able to get rabies, nevertheless it’s fairly uncommon.
Let’s get scientific for a second: The rabies virus is principally transmitted by way of saliva, just like the frequent chilly or flu. Nonetheless, we bears aren’t Frenching our approach right into a brain-baking demise. A technique we might get contaminated is that if a rabid animal bites or scratches us. However that doesn’t occur fairly often. (To not brag, however we’re sturdy sufficient that it takes so much for an additional animal to land a blow on us.)
Nonetheless, we do often go rabid. Simply this yr, a black bear in Pennsylvania examined constructive after attacking a person on a strolling path. And in February 2023, locals seen {that a} Connecticut bear that had come out of hibernation early was failing to run off within the presence of people and dragging the left facet of its physique—each indicators of the virus. Biologists later confirmed the poor man had a pressure of rabies just like one recovered from a New England raccoon.
Might you catch rabies from a bear? It’s doable, however not going. This virus impacts mammals, which you and I each are. Rabies can be zoonotic, that means it will possibly make the leap from animals to people. Not like bats, raccoons, wolves, and skunks, although, bears aren’t a reservoir for the virus, that means it doesn’t usually dwell and multiply in our techniques prefer it does for these sorry suckers.
Earlier than you retire your mountain climbing boots for good, know that rabies is extraordinarily uncommon within the U.S., with simply 1 to three human instances annually. Plus, an infection’s totally preventable by way of vaccinations, so long as you get them earlier than creating signs. And folks catching rabies from a bear? So far as we are able to inform, it’s by no means occurred.
Some recommendation for you people: Keep in mind Previous Yeller? That complete “frothing on the mouth” bit is fairly uncommon to see in a rabid animal. However should you see certainly one of us performing surprisingly, stumbling like we’re drunk, dragging limbs, or oddly agitated, preserve your distance and name your native wildlife authorities.
The underside line is that we bears don’t wish to exit with a foolish little virus. We desire to die the honorable approach: In a fierce brawl for the very best angling spot on the river. — BEAR
The publish Ask a Bear: Can You Get Rabies? appeared first on Backpacker.
