Bears Find Creative Ways to Beat the Heat

We’re in the dog days of summer, and we’re all looking for ways to beat the heat. For us humans, that means afternoons spent in the air conditioning or by the pool in a bathing suit, sipping an ice-cold drink. But bears, with their thick fur coats and lack of sweat glands, have to find their own creative ways to stay cool on hot summer days. If you’re out and about in bear country on a warm afternoon, then these are the creative things you might find bears doing to keep cool.

Looking for shade

Just like us, bears enjoy lounging in the shade on a hot day. They can shed heat through their enormous paws as well as other places on their bodies that don’t have fur. This includes their bellies, the inside of their legs, their faces, and their ears. For this reason, it would not be unusual to find a bear stretched out in a shady spot under a tree or porch with its belly up and its legs spread wide.

Shedding their fur

Like many animals, bears will shed their dense underfur and coarse outer hairs in the summer. By late summer, the bears you see may be looking pretty scruffy, but not to worry. That fur and hair will grow back as they pack on fat for hibernation for the coming winter.

Swimming

Bears are excellent swimmers and love swimming just as much as people do. They will go for a swim in almost any available water source including lakes, ponds, and streams. When they get out of the water they give themselves a good shake. This causes water to evaporate and helps to cool them down. Unfortunately, you need to always be aware because you may also find bears in swimming pools, hot tubs, sprinklers, and fountains. While it may be cute, you should not encourage this behavior. Make sure the bear has an escape route and then make a lot of noise by shouting or banging pots and pans to get the bear to leave.

Be smart about interacting with bears

To keep bears – and you – safe, you need to be smart about any interactions with bears and avoid them whenever possible. This means removing all attractants such as bird feeders, pet food, outdoor grills, compost piles, human food, and trash. Dispose of all your trash in bear-proof containers. BearSaver offers a full line of more than 75 different bear-resistant enclosures including trash cans, recycle bins, and food storage lockers to help keep bears out of your trash and out of your community. If you do see an aggressive bear, then call your local department of fish and game to report it.

Contact BearSaver today

Would you like to learn more about how BearSaver products can help you be safe in Bear Country? Then contact us at 800-851-3887 or sales@bearsaver.com. We are eager to help you make the right decision with confidence. Contact us today!