1. Accidents during hunting. Most accidents registered in Bulgaria are by injured bears, which attacked not only the hunters that shot them, but also other people accidentally stumbled across the area. If you are approached by a bear which does not notice you, as early as possible tell about yourself by coughing or talking quietly. In any case do not make loud noises (fireworks, gunshots, yelling, etc.) – that can provoke some individuals to attack you! During the hunting of wild boar in bear habitat, shoot only clearly visible targets. Bears don’t have sharp snout, tail and are rarely black. Bear shooting without permission is a crime and you can go to prison for up to 5 years. Remember: with an unsuccessful shot you risk not only your life but the lives of other hunters and other people in the area.
2. Crossing the critical distance line. If an unexpected person appears near a bear (5-7 meters), bears may attack. To avoid this it is just enough to move making noise, tapping, hissing, talking, etc. When the bear notices you from afar, it will leave and you will not even know about its presence. REMEMBER: the best way to prevent an incident at a meeting with a bear – is to avoid the meeting!
3. Defense of cubs. If you come across bear cubs, the best you can do is to withdraw quickly. Do not make photos of them and in no circumstances attempt to touch them or “save them”. Do not forget that the mother is probably nearby and will take your behavior as a threat to her cubs. Protecting the cubs, the female bear can seriously wound or even kill you! If you encounter a bear with cubs against you, you should know that usually the bear is not convinced that it must attack you – it is afraid of you. Even if the bear throws over you, it is most often a simulated attack, which aims to make you withdraw. The most important but most difficult is to keep cool (see this Simulated bear attack in Sweden). Escape slowly not missing sight of the bear, but at the same time do not stare at its eyes. Do not run – this would provoke the bear instinct and give it confidence to catch up and attack you.