Jack Hanna Wards Off Grizzlies with Pepper Spray

(CBS)  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
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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.

[getsafenow]

Pepper spray is great stuff and the bear sprays are designed specifically for bear, although in a pinch any pepper spray will help your situation.
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

[davegreen55]

No <a href="http://buybearspray.com">bear spray</a> is far more effective than firearms. read a study before that showed the vast majority of people who used bear spray in a bear encounter left un harmed whereas those with fire arms sufffered injury. Nice video and a good reminded to alwasy be prepared when hiking.

[organelle67]

Thanks for the article. Bearspray is an effective tool against bears....and could save your life! I know it works. SafetyMode Systems has it: http://www.safetymodesystems.com/bearspray.htm

[miensa]

I want everyone to be aware that neither mace nor pepper spray was used to deter this bear.
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.

[kmkm--2008]

Good on ya, Jack Hanna for responding correctly to protect the people and the bears. Nice demo.

[JayAdler1]

When I was a kid back in the 1950's we all used to watch this show called Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. For some reason, this bear story reminded me of wintry days in front of our Philco TV enthralled as this older man (Please, I do not remember his name) wait, it was Marlin Perkins. was the moderator but the thing is he let this young guy, like Mr. Hanna do all the dirty work while he sat in the bushes making play by play commentary and then sell us the Mutual of Omaha insurance. In those days you only needed a $5,000 benefit which would keep you going indefinitely. So Marlin Perkins, wearing a suit in the African tundra would say something like this "Bill is being trampled by a giraffe in the high grass while this Boa zeros in for the kill, while we are waiting for something to happen, did you ever wonder what would happen to your family if you were in Bill's predicament.

[barbaram99]

i don't know everything..I would not mace a bear as I CAN not see to..Mr Hanna loves ansmals..I hope they don't member him is the reason I said what I did. People see a bear and they panic. People go into the bears spaces and fail to see they are wild..I live in the city and no I can't buy it as it is illegal for me me to. Mr Hanna has the accent he does and most older people do..Mr Smith has to speak without such. The young don't have the accents of their areas due to media..My Mum does. I have lost my Down East accent due to moves..

[earlyshowviewer]

I hope that Harry Smith realizes how rude he came across to Jack Hanna this morning. Is this his true character coming out? If so, maybe it's time to consider retiring...

[bobnjersey]

[Animal expert Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and well known TV host ...]

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.

[texanforlogi]

I am having a hard time believing the comments I'm reading here. Jack Hanna knows FAR more about dealing with animals than any of you know-it-all bozos (or Booboos). Yes, pepper spray IS the correct thing to use.

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.