How fast does the bear run? Will it catch up with the person? What about the cyclist? (7 photos)

Many people consider the bear to be a clumsy, slow lump. And they think: the bear is certainly scary and strong, but he doesn’t run well, so you can always run away from him, if anything happens.





Because of this misconception, some curious tourists, seeing a bear grazing peacefully, come closer to look at it and take a photo. The outcome can be extremely negative.



Why a bear is inconvenient

If other forest animals show their dissatisfaction - by posture, facial expressions, snorting or hitting the ground with their hooves, then the bear will not exchange it for this. The fact that he is angry and planning an attack can only be known after the fact.





The bear is the most powerful animal in the forest. Evolution worked on his muscles and size, but almost no time was spent on developing threatening, warning behavior. No need. These are other animals that scare each other in every possible way before a fight in order to avoid that very fight, since its outcome is unpredictable and dangerous for both. And the bear will always come out victorious in a fight, so there is no particular need for him to try to scare off the enemy.



Will a bear catch up with a running man?

Yes, if he wants. The running speed of an untrained person is only a measly 15 km/h. A trained runner can accelerate to 25 km, and a super-trained one, running on adrenaline, will run at 45 km, but this will not be enough: the bear can reach 50-60 km/h without any problems. And even faster.



Will a bear catch up with a cyclist?

Yes, no problem either. A road bike reaches a speed of about 25 km/h. A professional cyclist on a good bike rides 2 times faster, which again does not give him an advantage over a bear gallop.



A weak motorcycle won't help either

Light motorcycles like "Minsk" reach a speed of about 85 km/h on a good road. On a dirt road, on an uneven country road, of which there are many in forested regions, Minsk will give you 60 km at best. It would seem - well, the speed is almost equal to the bear’s, there is a chance to escape. But the bear can go into a jerk, exceeding that 60 km/h for a couple of minutes, so only luck can save you here.



You can get away from him on a good motorcycle on asphalt. There are even more chances if you go by car. But it is better to never cross paths with the owner of the forest, never approach him or provoke him. Fortunately, bears rarely chase people, and even if they do, they quickly lose the excitement of the chase.