The potential for having an adverse encounter with a grizzly bear is extremely low. Even when they occur, most bear encounters do not lead to human injury. Adverse encounters can usually be avoided through awareness of conditions that may cause an encounter. Keeping a clean camp, not approaching wildlife too closely, and avoiding situations that might unknowingly surprise a bear will greatly decrease the risk of having an unwanted bear encounter, or causing someone else to have one.

Avian flu currently poses only a small danger, as the virus does not normally infect animals other than birds or pigs. However, human beings have been infected in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia, although these cases were linked to direct contact with dead or diseased poultry. One case of human-human contact was suspected in Thailand in 2004. There is no vaccine to prevent H5N1 infection in human beings, although there are drugs to treat the illness.

Although Yellowstone has the highest concentration of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states, we have never had any bear problems. We are extremely particular about food handling, cooking, cleanup, camp setup and hanging of all food and ordorous objects. For added safety, the horses/mules are hobbled around the campsite and with this added activity the bears avoid the immediate area.

Dogs tethered for long periods can become highly aggressive. Dogs feel naturally protective of their territory; when confronted with a perceived threat, they respond according to their fight-or-flight instinct. A chained dog, unable to take flight, often feels forced to fight, attacking any unfamiliar animal or person who unwittingly wanders into his or her territory. Numerous attacks on people by tethered dogs have been documented.

To protect both the pet and wildlife, pets should always be carefully monitored by their owners in areas where they may encounter native wildlife, such as national forests or parks. Unsupervised dogs that stray into wolf territories from their owner's homes or from their handlers are at risk. Wolves may treat dogs as interlopers on their territories and can be very aggressive towards them, especially during denning season (April through May).

Not much else. In a few months to a year it may pose a threat to the shipping lanes that resupply and refuel McMurdo Station, but other than that there is no immediate threat. This iceberg did not make a wave of any sort when it broke off. Since the Ross Ice Shelf is already floating, it is more of a separation than a "falling."

Yes, we have both grizzly and black bears in the backcountry of the Tetons and Yellowstone. Click here to read more about how to prevent and handle bear encounters.

Young grizzlies can climb trees as effectively as most black bears, but some mature bears have more difficulty. Most grizzlies can "ladder up" trees with branches, but their weight and claw structure prevents them from climbing as efficiently as black bears. Three of the 23 documented bear-induced human injuries in Denali involved grizzlies pulling humans out of trees.

Grizzlies are omnivores, which means that like humans, they eat both plants and animals. They are also opportunists, meaning they take advantage of whatever is available. Most of their diet is from vegetable materials such as berries, roots, and grasses. They also scavenge meat from winter-killed animals, dig for rodents, and eat termites, ants, grubs and other insects. If the opportunity arises they can become adept at fishing and hunting.

Eating occupies much of a grizzly bear's time during the spring, summer and fall, but they also engage in a wide range of other activities. Grizzly bears are extremely intelligent animals and each individual has a personality of its own. Adult bears are sometimes observed on the highest peaks. Entire family groups of mothers and cubs have been seen sliding down steep snow slopes on their rumps and then climbing back up to do it again.

No. Different dioxin compounds have different toxicities and dioxins are most often found in mixtures rather than as single compounds in the environment. The most toxic forms of dioxin are 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD. Scientists use a shorthand method for comparing the toxicity of different types or mixtures of dioxins to the toxicity of 2,3,7,8- TCDD and 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD. This method is called the "Toxicity Equivalence" or TEQ.

Aflatoxin is a compound that is produced by molds that grow on grains and nuts. Aflatoxin molds are distributed worldwide in soil, plant material and the air. The USDA tightly regulates aflatoxin levels in peanuts by inspection. The requirement is that aflatoxin levels be no more than 20 parts per billion (ppb). This is the equivalent of a needle in 267 one-ton haystacks. The peanuts we use are well below this level. The aflatoxin levels in our peanut butter average well below 10ppb.

In 1983, a Washington Department of Game researcher collected and classified grizzly bear observations from the North Cascades. For the U.S. portion of the North Cascades, more than 20 reports between 1960 and 1983 were rated as highly reliable. One of the reports described the killing of a grizzly bear on Fisher Creek south of Ross Lake in 1967. Biologists of the Washington Department of Game inspected this bear and recorded a detailed description of it.

The Endangered Species Act requires recovery of threatened or endangered plants and animals. Grizzly bears were listed as a threatened species in 1975. A national grizzly bear recovery plan was prepared in 1982. It identified four ecosystems that had grizzly bears and sufficient habitat to support a viable bear population and two that needed to be evaluated. The North Cascades was one of those two.

While timber harvest activity may temporarily displace bears, it does not necessarily cause long-term detrimental effects if road access is limited after the activity is complete. Logging can sometimes improve bear habitat by providing openings favorable to plants that the bears use for food. This increased food value lasts as long as the bear foods produced by removal of the tree canopy persist.

New human flu viruses can arise from bird flu viruses that then change to a form that can infect humans and spread readily from person to person. Current bird flu outbreaks in Asia, Europe and Africa are caused by a type of flu virus called "H5N1." Human infections and deaths due to the H5N1 virus have occurred, although the virus has at this time not developed the ability to pass easily from person to person and cause outbreaks in humans.

The average spring weight of an adult male bear in the Rockies is 350-400 pounds; a female weighs about 250 pounds. A grizzly may gain 50-100+ pounds during the summer and fall. Brown and Kodiak bears are the same species as our grizzly bears, but they are much larger as a result of their richer food source and the dominance of larger bears in breeding.

Very little. We will be taking precautions at the 2002 August Camp site in Idaho to ensure that our food-preparation area is not visited by bears. Food will be stored in bear-proof containers. We suggest that you bring air-tight containers for the storage of aromatic cosmetics and toiletries (bears love toothpaste!) in your tent.

Common cat parasites, if left untreated, can do tremendous damage to your cat's health. They not only sap your cat of energy, they can be down right dangerous. Cat ring worm is actually not a worm, but a contagious fungal infection that can be passed between species. It is common and the symptoms are easy to spot, but stubborn cases can be difficult to cure. Cat round worm is the most common intestinal parasite in cats, so it is important to know what it is and what to look for.

A more ominous threat also looms - the possibility of goose/airplane collisions near urban airports, which have become increasingly popular goose resting spots. It is a threat airport authorities and the Service takes seriously. In 1995, 24 people died in the crash of a Boeing 707 jet aircraft after it collided with Canada geese on take-off from the Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage, Alaska.

Yes. Rodents can damage structures, chew wiring and cause electrical fires. They also contaminate human food with their urine and carry many diseases that are harmful to humans.

There is very little risk of encounters with wildlife at camp. We take precautions so that our food preparation areas do not attract bears and other creatures. We recommend that you not keep food in your tent and that you bring airtight containers for storage of aromatic cosmetics, toiletries and your toothpaste

Yes. Grizzlies sometimes prey on elk calves and deer fawns. They generally are not very proficient at killing adults of those species. In some areas, such as Yellowstone, big game can be an important food source. However, carrion (often winter kill) often makes up the largest portion of big game consumed by bears.

No. This would not happen without an extensive process that involves an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). However there is a plan being considered by British Columbia authorities to augment the population in that Province.

Many biologists believe that the only way to facilitate recovery and reduce the risk of extinction is through an augmentation program. They estimate there are currently very few grizzly bears in the North Cascades, perhaps as few as 5-20 animals in the U.S. portion. Small populations such as this are highly vulnerable to extinction.