Jack Hanna Wards Off Grizzlies with Pepper Spray
Animal expert Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and well known TV host, really had his skills tested during a family vacation in Montana on Saturday. Hanna came face to face with three wild grizzly bears, and lived to tell the tale on "The Early Show" Wednesday morning.
Jack Hanna Uses Pepper Spray to Avert Bear Attack
Pictures: Jack Hanna's Wild Life
Jack Hanna Closer Than Ever to Polar Bears
Even as Hanna spoke with co-anchor Harry Smith from Big Forks, Mont., a black bear was roaming around nearby.
Hanna recounted that his day began around two in the afternoon, getting a late start, as his he and his wife hiked down to Grinnell Glacier.
"My wife and I were coming down, we were coming down, the last one. A young lady, 18, and her parent. They were half an hour before us. They came down the trail. I got around a corner where there was a cliff and wall, and she comes back and says, 'Oh, my gosh, there's three bears coming up the trail,'" said Hanna.
Hanna then explained that you have to give bears their space. Hanna found an opening on grassy hill within minutes of spotting the bears, and as he lined everybody against a wall, he told them to clap and make noise like they were told to do in bear country. But the bears closed in regardless.
"(The bears) about 25, 30 feet away now. I see it's a male trying to show his oomph," recalled Hanna. He then demonstrated the way to properly use a can of bear spray, or pepper spray.
"You wear (pepper spray) this on your chest, with your backpack, so I pulled (the safety clip) off. I already had it off. You throw this down, take the safety clip, go like that. I pointed it at the bear. I didn't want the bear to start making problems or the mother would come back," said Hanna.
Hanna explained the pepper spray is something every hiker should carry. He advises against carrying weapons because those could end up doing more harm than good. But a can of pepper spray works, does not harm people, and doesn't do any serious harm to the bears either.
Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved. Jack Hanna Uses Pepper Spray to Avert Bear Attack
Pictures: Jack Hanna's Wild Life
Jack Hanna Closer Than Ever to Polar Bears
Even as Hanna spoke with co-anchor Harry Smith from Big Forks, Mont., a black bear was roaming around nearby.
Hanna recounted that his day began around two in the afternoon, getting a late start, as his he and his wife hiked down to Grinnell Glacier.
"My wife and I were coming down, we were coming down, the last one. A young lady, 18, and her parent. They were half an hour before us. They came down the trail. I got around a corner where there was a cliff and wall, and she comes back and says, 'Oh, my gosh, there's three bears coming up the trail,'" said Hanna.
Hanna then explained that you have to give bears their space. Hanna found an opening on grassy hill within minutes of spotting the bears, and as he lined everybody against a wall, he told them to clap and make noise like they were told to do in bear country. But the bears closed in regardless.
"(The bears) about 25, 30 feet away now. I see it's a male trying to show his oomph," recalled Hanna. He then demonstrated the way to properly use a can of bear spray, or pepper spray.
"You wear (pepper spray) this on your chest, with your backpack, so I pulled (the safety clip) off. I already had it off. You throw this down, take the safety clip, go like that. I pointed it at the bear. I didn't want the bear to start making problems or the mother would come back," said Hanna.
Hanna explained the pepper spray is something every hiker should carry. He advises against carrying weapons because those could end up doing more harm than good. But a can of pepper spray works, does not harm people, and doesn't do any serious harm to the bears either.
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I know people have chased bear away from their Colorado cabin using a 4 oz Fox Labs pepper spray. There is quite a variety at www.defensedevices.com
The proper tool in this was BEAR SPRAY. NOT pepper spray, NOT mace.
Neither pepper spray nor mace will have ANY affect on a charging bear. ONLY BEAR SPRAY marked as BEAR SPRAY and that has the EPA seal on it.
You know when "experts" start using the wrong words a lot of damage could be done. Now we have people responding to some of these articles on Hanna and holding on to every word he says as truth and then making statements about mace or personal defense spray. GREAT! A bunch of hikers, hunters, cyclists, tourists and so on are going to go out and purchase pepper spray. Thanks Jack. C'mon! Please, be responsible about this. Think before you speak!
And yes, I work with/for Grizzlies, Jack does not. I know more in this case. Sorry.
jack hanna i'm sure is a real nice guy ... never seems to be motivated by anything but his love for animals ... always seems to have a great disposition ... even when others are making fun of him.
however ... classifying him as an animal expert might be a bit of a stretch. he definitely knows at least a little about a lot of species ... and he's clearly dedicated his life to the subject ... but he's much more of a 'spokesman' ... or champion of a cause.
he's been a regular on david letterman since the inception of the show ... and all his visits are a 'must see'. some of the funniest segments i have ever seen on a late night television show.
dave always gets him w/ at least one question that stumps him. some would perceive it as mean ... and maybe they are ... but they're priceless!
even jack's assistants/handlers ... who seem to have the real details on the animals ... are cracking up during these segments.
you can't buy 'funny' like that.
Your big, bad gun, fwupow, is probably only going to make the bear mad--the bear is a very big target but to stop them you are going to have to hit them in the exactly right spot and the odds are that you aren't going to.
Barbaram99, pepper spray is NOT illegal, especially not in areas where there are grizzly bears. Pepper spray is SOLD in Glacier National Park (where this occurred). Only go for the fetal position if you don't have pepper spray.
Jack Hanna knows his stuff--if you read the story he protected several people not even of his own group with the spray. Pepper spray saves dozens of people every year.