It is hard to believe that a creature as great and powerful as the bear was often characterized in the 19th century in many beastly sagas as greedy and gluttonous. If this was not bad enough, the bear also had to answer to charges of lust and sloth. In the Physiologous, the bear is described as A beast clumsy by nature and unable to run easy like the other beasts, but rather drags itself along slowly. It prefers to bury itself in the ground and to keep itself in a hole, for its limbs are not adapted to convey swiftly such a monstrous body. Of course, we know that not to be true.
Many people worry about having encounters with bears while they are hiking or camping.
If you do encounter a bear, do not feed it or get close to it. Back away slowly making a lot of noise and do not run. Never surround or corner the bear or bears. If you happen to be attacked by the bear, the National Park Service Black Bear Brochure advised to fight back as hard as you can with any object near you. Be as loud and intimidating as you can.