BANFF NATIONAL PARK - Safety Advice re Bears - Roger Dyke
By Roger Dyke
It is important to distinguish between brown bears and grizzlies: brown bears confine their feeding to vegetation and small mammals, but grizzlies may attack humans. A sensible precaution is to have a small brass bell to warn bears gently of your approach, and carry a pepper-spray in case of attack by grizzly. It is easy to tell which type of bears are around. Droppings from brown bears smell of decaying grass and may include a rat tail for example. Grizzly bear droppings smell strongly of pepper and may include small brass bells.
