Jack Hanna Encounters Bears and Uses Pepper Spray

The news media is buzzing about animal expert and zookeeper Jack Hanna's encounter with a bear and her cubs while hiking with his wife Saturday up Montana's Glacier National Park. When one of the cubs got too close for comfort, Hanna drew his bear pepper spray and squeezed off three applications before the cub ran off.

Hanna said it's common for park rangers to carry bear pepper spray and he himself has carried it for years. This is the first time he's had to use it. He recommends carrying bear spray if you are hiking where bears are know to inhabit. He says only use it if the bear becomes aggressive. Above all, he says, don't run.

There are only a few bear pepper sprays on the market. Although Mace manufactures an effective bear spray, the one we recommend is the ultra hot Guard Alaska Bear Repellent BR-9. It's a large 260 grams (9 ounces) and measures 8-3/4" x 2". The BR-9 s endorsed by the Alaska Science & Technology Foundation. It's special formula differs from human pepper spray and has an effective range of 15-20 feet.

The Sierra Club wants the Forest Service to require everyone who enters a national forest in grizzly bear country to carry bear spray Spokeswoman Heidi Godwin said in a news release, "The proper use of bear repellent pepper spray will reduce human injuries caused by bears, reduce the number of grizzly bears killed in self defense, and help promote the recovery and survival of the grizzly bear."