VIDEO: Jack Hanna Stops Bear With Pepper Spray

Wildlife educator/celebrity practices what he preaches in a close encounter Saturday at Glacier National Park

When you see the Columbus Zoo's Jack Hanna messing around with weird animals on The Tonight Show, you probably don't think "tough guy." But the motor-mouthed wildlife educator handled a grizzly in Glacier like a regular Chuck Norris.

In an afternoon hike with his wife Suzi, they encountered a mother bear and her two cubs on a very narrow trail returning from Grinnell Glacier. He shared his experience with CBS's Harry Smith. Check it out:

Just a few weeks earlier, Hanna filmed a public service announcement for the National Park Service, praising pepper spray over firearms to protect hikers in light of recent laws loosening firearms regulations in national parks.

Come to think of it, while this is a nice start, Hanna will probably have to up his game to bypass Norris. Word on the street is ol' Chuck once rode a nine-foot grizzly bear through an automatic car wash instead of taking a shower.

Planning a trip to bear country? Get a primer on fending off both types of bears in our video tutorial.

--Rachel Kiely

via Columbus Dispatch

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READERS COMMENTS

Back from MT

Aug 10, 2010

Bearfeet: Really dude. Pepper spray 'approved' for anti-human use is 5% capsaicin, derived from peppers in the capsicum genus. Bear spray is a 10% concentration and usually comes with a larger volume can that sprays a longer range. That's the only difference. 10% preparations are labeled as "Bear Spray" (and hence legal for you to carry into Canada, where anti-personnel sprays are tightly controlled). But the idea that MACE or a 5% concentration of capsaicin would have 'no effect' on a charging bear is quite the stretch.

Indignant outdoor gurus are soooo tiresome.

bearxpert

Aug 02, 2010

@bearfeet, so called Bear Spray is nothing more than a large can of colored pepper spray that has a longer range.

bearfeet

Jul 31, 2010

I want everyone to be aware that neither mace nor pepper spray was used to deter this bear.
The proper tool in this was BEAR SPRAY. NOT pepper spray, NOT mace.
Neither pepper spray nor mace will have ANY affect on a charging bear. ONLY BEAR SPRAY marked as BEAR SPRAY and that has the EPA seal on it.
You know when "experts" start using the wrong words a lot of damage could be done. Now we have people responding to some of these articles on Hanna and holding on to every word he says as truth and then making statements about mace or personal defense spray. GREAT! A bunch of hikers, hunters, cyclists, tourists and so on are going to go out and purchase pepper spray. Thanks Jack. C'mon! Please, be responsible about this. Think before you speak!
And yes, I work with/for Grizzlies, Jack does not. I know more in this case. Sorry.

ClimbPhx.com

Jul 30, 2010

Great article - we dont get the big grizzlies from the North but recently we have been seeing a larger number of black bears from the surrounding smaller foothills run into yards in outlying areas.
ClimbPHX.com recently posted this to their page as well... Great article

Ian

Jul 30, 2010

Only complaint, Jack Hanna is the Columbus Zoo, not Cincinnati.

Anonymous

Jul 28, 2010

No more Chuck Norris jokes please.

Cindy

Jul 28, 2010

Not suprising at all..It has been proven that Bear Pepper Spray is MORE effective for warding off bears than a firearm...

Self Defense Products Florida

Thaddaus Huber

Jul 28, 2010

He is from the Columbus Zoo

Gibolt

Jul 28, 2010

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