本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Nearly every Algonquin campsite has a resident army of camp robbers. These typically include red squirrels and chipmunks, either of which is capable of chewing a hole through a pack in a few minutes to reach food it smells inside. Grey jays (whiskey jacks) are also skilled at hit-and-run food robbery. At night the smaller end of the camp robber community expands to include mice. These may appear cute, but will leave a trail of droppings through any packs, dishes or food bags they are able to enter. Racoons are common campsite visitors, and adept at tearing open packs. Algonquin has a large population of black bears, and there is always a chance one will decide on a nocturnal visit to your campsite to provide the ultimate camp-robbing experience.
To avoid loss of food and damage to gear, it is essential that every pack containing food or even smelling of it be tied shut and suspended off the ground at night or when leaving a campsite unattended. Squirrel proofing is relatively straightforward, but a determined racoon may attempt to chew through the rope holding up a pack, and bears are capable of reaching packs far off the ground. Complete bear-proofing of a food pack requires that it be suspended at least 3 meters off the ground, and 3 meters from the nearest trunk or branch capable of supporting a bear's weight. Bear proofing a food pack can prevent lossof supplies, but it will not prevent a curious bear from inspecting a campsite, and nosing through any pack or tent on which it detects the slightest odour of food.
The majority of Algonquin bears are wary of humans, and will go out of their way to avoid contact. A few bears have learned that camp robbing can provide an easy source of food, but even these bears are normally timid, and can often be frightened away by loud noise. If a bear approaches your camp, the first line of defense is to make as much noise as possible. (Banging pots and pans is the traditional method). If the bear doesn't back away, the only safe alternative is to let it have its pick of the available food. It is important not to run from an aggressive bear, but rather slowly back away while facing the animal.
Bears are most likely to be a nuisance in heavily-used areas near access points where an abundant and reliable food supply can be obtained by raiding the camps of inexperienced travellers. They are particularly fond of fresh meat, fish and eggs. One of the best techniques for avoiding bear raids is therefore to carry only vegetarian supplies with little odour, and seal these in plastic bags. It is very important to minimize the smell of food on you and your clothing. Food should never be taken inside a tent.
In a few very rare instances healthy young adult male bears in Algonquin with no known history of camp robbing have attacked humans as prey. In 1978 three teenagers camping on Radiant Lake near the center of the park were killed by a bear which tore into their tent in the night. There was no food in the tent. In 1991 two adults were killed by a rogue bear on Bates Island in Opeongo Lake, in a heavily-travelled area just a few kilometers from the main dock. The bear clearly intended to eat the humans. In 1997 an 11 year old boy was dragged from a tent by a bear on the North Arm of Opeongo Lake. Once again, there was no food in the tent, so the incident can not be explained as a typical case of camp robbing. The boy would have been killed had it not been for the intervention of other campers, who drove off the bear by attacking it with paddles. In all three instances the bears involved in the attacks were tracked down and shot within a few hours. Since the attacks have all occurred in a relatively confined area of the park it has been speculated that the bears involved may have had a common ancestor, and been genetically predisposed to ununusually aggressive behaviour.
History suggests that we can expect an attack on humans by an Algonquin black bear roughly once a decade. Although this is a disturbing prospect, to put the attacks in perspective, the odds of being struck by lightning in Algonquin are far greater than those of being attacked by a bear, and the hazards of travel on the highways in and around the park present a far greater risk still.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
