Make way bear Bashny.Net

Says photographer animal painter Igor Shpilenok

So I could look my death. I crept along the narrow path in the floodplain frequently and suddenly rushed at me bear. Spas Flare, which I usually keep at the ready when I go through dense thickets in flood spawning rivers. The bear attacked me because he defended the meat freshly killed bear them. This I found out later, but at that time chose to retreat from flares burning in the hands and to tear. A little later, I found out that my chance to escape with the help of flares was not one hundred percent, because the second hand flare, which I had at the time, turned out to be unworkable. If he was just in my hand at the time of the attack of the beast, you would not be reading these lines, and the director of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve would be plenty of trouble because of the death of the bear another employee ...

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I had a long time to work in the most bearish areas of Russia: Kamchatka Geyser Valley, which is located in the Kronotsky Reserve and the Kuril Lake in South Kamchatka Preserve. There were days in the Kuril Lake, when it was possible to meet more than a hundred bears! Experience shows that in this kingdom bear per season there are 2 - 4 dangerous situations when you have to fend off the beasts. About his experience of behavior in such situations, I want to tell today.

Just want to say that the most important art of living among the bears is not knowing how to fight them, and how not to bring the case before the conflict. It is quite possible: the 2006 season I was without a hassle. At the end of the post I will provide a link to expert advice on how to avoid conflict with the bear. But people of my profession (I remind you that I am not only a photographer, but also the work inspector of the protected area) has to be in the thick of things, controlling the mode of the reserve and protecting the bears from people, and people from the bears. People have also happens a lot: visiting scientists, photo- and movie-taking and other groups and visitors of the reserve. Sooner or later, emergency situations happen ...

In this image, the distance between people and the beast is safe.



The first such situation I happened on the first week of my work in the Valley of Geysers in late May 2005, at the height of the mating season for bears when they dureyut by raging hormones. Together with my friend and colleague Vladimir Zlotnikov we returned to the hut of their long-bypass. The last part of the road was a steep climb, and we sat down to rest. The house was only two hundred meters and smoke, Volodya carelessly donned a backpack on top of a gun: a house next! I for the same reason he did not even hang a rifle over his shoulder, he decided to carry it in your hand. We began to get out on the last climb out of the canyon as the top of a fracture of the hill and bear jumped Poper Volodya. He grabbed the automatic movement of the stock, but the gun was under a backpack and a backpack to take the time it was not simple. He shouted: "Shoot !!!", which I did. One barrel of my gun was loaded flares, and a second bullet. I fired a missile. Fluff was difficult because the bear was only four feet away from us. On such a short range missile impact energy was enough to bring down the mighty beast with the legs, and he fell on a steep slope, slid ten meters down and was able to stay only sinter geyser board slot. From the unexpected happened to him bear the illness: then tourists are not often asked about the origin of a huge pile of manure on the geyser. But a minute later he coped with excitement and began to graze on the young grass, as if nothing had happened. The lesson he drew the right: never approached people closer than thirty meters. Until he molted well have been considerably stain faded from the launch of hair on his shoulder, for which he was named Bullseye. Since then, I think the signal 12 caliber cartridges effective means of scaring away bears and not just used them successfully. They do not cause serious harm to the animal. In addition to the body should shoot when absolutely necessary, sometimes it is enough to fire on stone or a log nearby. Bear is afraid of not only the shot noise, and sharp chemical smell of burning rocket fire, sparks and hissing. I had a case when the bear did not run away from the shots and began to explore a burning flare in the snow, touching her with his claws.

It pacified labeled a minute after the attack. The dark spot on his shoulder - the trace of the signal rocket.



Signal cartridges dangerous to use in a dry forest - from the lights are easily flammable substrate.
One proven tool - flares. In Kamchatka, they are sold in hunting and fishing stores. Better to buy flares are not in a cardboard package (150 - 200 rubles), and plastic, although they are more than twice as much (400 - 500 rubles). Under the seemingly endless rain cardboard sooner or later raskisnet and plastic protected. And of the dozens passed through my hands plastic hand flares neither denied, but with cardboard that happened a couple of times - thank God that it is not in critical situations. Flare is necessary to have several, each illuminated for about 2 minutes, and this time may not be enough to leave a dangerous place. It is not necessary to light the Flare, when the bear away, and there is no real danger. Otherwise you will find yourself without protection when the bear would be very close. Besides, animals can get used to the burning flares and begin to ignore it even at close range.

Flare - the most affordable of the most effective means antimedvezhih. Man drives away the bear from the helicopter fuel tank. Bears love the smell of kerosene and bite through the vessel where it is located.



Sometimes the animals are not afraid of even a helicopter. Moreover, on the Kamchatka Peninsula are cases when the bear got into the car left open.
A good remedy bears are gas cylinders, but not those that are sold by us against humans and dogs, and special, antimedvezhi. Bring them to the Russian aircraft is practically impossible because of the stringent safety regulations. I have seen these tanks in action - when used correctly by the bears are shy.
In fact, the whole previous conversation was about the extreme situations and heavy vehicles. In ordinary life clashes with people with milder bears occur. Usually, someone smarter, that first gives way. Almost always do it bears. If the bear is still trying to get closer, 90 percent of the missing or unexpected sharp whistle of cotton in the palm to the animal ran away. If he continues to approach, the following means - to throw a stone at him. Generally, it works. Some of my colleagues say that good help from the bear mat. I will not try to promote this process, especially as my friend and colleague Vasily Maximov, who lives among the bears in the Kuril Lake, prohibits mother on feeding bears, they say, this milk they lost.



Slightly muffled Vasily Maximov enthusiastically photographing me without hearing behind him Chapala in shallow water on the affairs bear.



Bears are afraid of all the unexpected. For example, a sudden drop-down umbrella, especially if they are drawn by two large eyes. Suddenly, wide open floor cloak or unexpectedly thrown up a backpack. Any unexpected behavior.

The biggest trouble has to suffer from the young, actively exploring the world of bears, as well as mature male-dominant, with no enemies in the wild and have forgotten how to give way.

Young curious bear cordon came explore the South Kamchatka Sanctuary at a time when there were tourists.



In moments of real danger in the human mind something switched and animal fear disappears. At the time, I, unarmed, had to rush to shoot me poacher - remember - there was no fear and was sverhmobilizatsiya all the physical and mental strength. Those feelings and a bear. I do not think that you have to rush to the animals, but I had to. In August 2005, we were sitting with his son and a group of French Petya tourists on steeper over the stormy Pacific Ocean and watched foxes have holes. Foxes disappeared from sight, and handing his son a gun, I'm with the camera in a wardrobe trunk crept to second otnorku to check whether there are not playing cubs. But I crawled over broken terrain and became invisible for the rest of the ocean of people as peripheral vision saw the bear: he stood on his hind legs in the high reed grass with great curiosity and looked at me. I took the "Nikon", snapped a couple of grass sticking out of the bear. His eyes I did not like, it was too carnivorous they looked at me ... I felt intuitively that the bearish head has taken a very bad decision for me ... Then I realized what a big mistake I made: crawling on the ground man for the bear is sick or injured It is easy prey, which it is necessary to stop the agony. I immediately jumped up, put the camera in the trunk and shouted: "Peter! Shotgun! Come here with a gun! "But Peter with a gun does not appear from behind the hill, and I immediately understood why: my screams drowned out the roar of the storm of the ocean! The bear disappeared into the grass and looked out a moment later she was quite close, about ten meters, and went for rapprochement at a slight angle. For a split second I decided to do something unexpected for a bear to show his superiority. And I had nothing to do but to rush him with a battle cry, and raised high above his head top box that I shot him, but it was already in the back of the body: the bear began to skedaddle from me. When half a minute later I went back to Pete and the French, I could only whisper to tell them what happened, because I was attacking cry long lost his voice. But «Nikon D2x» with zoom 80 - 400 mm after the strongest impact remains functional!

Assertive photographers wake a sleeping bear in the snow field.



Renowned photographer Sergey Gorshkov bearish chose the right position to shoot, his beast, and divided by the river Geyser. When between man and beast is an obstacle such as a river or ravine, shot safe.



And the photographer is risking - and bear his share only a few steps.



This dominant male tired of the annoying attention of the crowd taking pictures and Poper to them.



By demonstrating his superiority, he went to the human path.



The monument to the legendary photographer Michio Hoshino bearish on the place of his death from a bear on the banks of the Kurile Lake is a reminder to us, photos, of the dangers of our business.



Council last: while in bear areas, do not forget to look back sometimes!



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