Bear Attack Statistics

Key Takeaways

• 1Between 1900 and 2019, there were 664 brown/grizzly bear attacks on humans in North America resulting in 104 deaths.
• 2From 2000 to 2010, black bears were responsible for 56 attacks in Canada with 12 fatalities.
• 3Japanese black bears attacked 158 people between 2011 and 2020.
• 4In Yellowstone National Park from 1979 to 2019, grizzly bears inflicted injuries in 44 incidents.
• 5Alaska recorded 47 brown bear attacks in 2022 alone, with 5 human fatalities.
• 6In Romania, brown bears caused 27 attacks in 2021, injuring 19 people.
• 7Globally, bear attacks increased by 40% from 2010 to 2020 due to habitat encroachment.
• 8In British Columbia, black bear attacks rose 25% from 2015-2022.
• 955% decline in black bear attacks after bear-proofing in Yosemite.
• 10Fatality rate for grizzly bear attacks is 11.5% in North America (1900-2009).
• 11Fatality rate for polar bear attacks is 4 per 10 attacks historically.
• 12Global bear attack deaths total around 5-10 annually since 2000.
• 13Bear attack injuries in Canada peaked at 62 cases in 2019.
• 14In Ontario, black bear attacks averaged 4 per year 2010-2020.
• 15In Michigan, black bears caused 92 nuisance calls but only 2 attacks 2010-2022.

Bear attacks have increased globally, but fatalities remain relatively rare.