So…Can You Outrun a bear?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nTo put it very simply: no – you cannot outrun a bear. Sorry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are three species native to North America: The grizzly bear (or brown bear), the black bear, and the polar bear. These bears are far bigger than you would expect, but that doesn’t mean they lack speed. If anything, bears are surprisingly fast animals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For reference, here are the dimensions of each species of bear and their average speeds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grizzly bear<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nHeight to shoulder: 3’-4’6” (0.91-1.37 meters)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Length: 5’6”-8’ (1.68-2.44 meters)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weight: 300-800 lb (136-363 kg)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Average speed: 35 mph<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Black bear<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nHeight to shoulder: 2’11”-3’5” (0.89-1.04 meters)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Length: 50-70” (1.27 – 1.77 meters)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weight: 130-660 lb (60-300 kg)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Average speed: 35 mph<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Polar bear <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nHeight to shoulder: 3’7”-5’3” (1.09-1.6 meters)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Length: 7’10”-9’10” (2.4-3 meters)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weight: 330-1500 lb (150-680 kg)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Average speed: 25 mph<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These dimensions are important because while you might not think 35 mph or 25 mph is a fast speed to run, let’s take a look at the average dimensions of a human being:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Human<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nHeight: 163 cm (Female) \/ 176.5 cm (Male)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weight: 55.1 kg (Female) \/ 57.3-77.41 kg (Male)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Average speed: 18.23 mph<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you can see, if the average human can run the average speed of 18.23 mph, they wouldn’t have much of a chance trying to outrun a bear with speeds of 25-35 mph successfully, would there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here’s the catch. There’s a bunch of factors that could get in the way between you and the bear, which could give you the slim chance of outrunning the predator. The environment is important, because if you’re running through a forest that the bear inhabits, then chances are the bear will run faster than you because they are adapted to the environment. If you’ve come across a bear in an environment that isn’t their own (such as a human settlement), you might be able to outrun them by outsmarting them. However, chances of this are very slim. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure, you can try to climb a building or get into your car to escape, but bears can climb. Bears can also see you run into your car, and when they stand on their feet, they are far taller than the vehicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n