HOW DO YOU STOP A – RUSSIAN – BEAR ATTACK?
I have been reading on the internet various methods for avoiding wild bear attacks offered by the US Forest Service which interestingly manage 20% of all forest land in the USA.
There seem to be four main rules suggested.
Personally I think they missed out on listing the simplest one which is – Do Not Go Where Bears Are!
I live in Dorset, UK and do not leave my house that often for medical reasons so I believe I am fairly safe from bear attacks unless it is on the stock market.
The last bears in Britain still roamed wild 1,500 years ago but went extinct during the Middle Ages. Bears have left their mark on British history through artworks, grave stones, bones, skins and museum specimens. The brown bear (Ursus arctos) was once widespread across Britain, found in the wild from Devon in southern England all the way up to northern Scotland.
Joking apart, I understand, excluding the leisure and camping crowd that some professions have to encroach on bear grounds for a variety of reasons including foresters, farmers, wardens, and water and fire services. Conversely bears are often drawn to human habitation in search of easy food supplies – we have all seen the pictures of brown, black, grizzly or polar bears going through trash cans or wandering empty streets at night in North America.
I once saw a leopard get in to a lift in a block of flats in Mumbai to get some live food from an upper floor – don’t ask me how he knew which floor buttons to push - so bears in restaurant garbage cans is not that odd .
Reverting to the Russian military Bear, there is NO excuse for wandering into (invading) the Ukraine – they have adequate resources in their own country to supply their population.
Many articles on bear attacks say you should study the bear’s motivations or that a little bit of bear psychology could be handy. In my mind I see a bear lying of an extra-large couch in a psychiatrist’s office spilling the beans about a misspent youth as a cub. After that insight into my own muddled mind what I understand by this instruction is that you should understand what the bear’s intentions are – food, protection, surprise, sees you as a threat or protecting their offspring or a recent kill. All wild bears attacking are predatory so should be avoided, escaped or if there is no alternative fought off.
In the case of Putin what are his motives for his criminal invasion of the Ukraine?
The real reasons are important, not the hot air excuses his range of yes-men spout out on a daily basis. He is of course mad by modern standards and has the moral compass of a Genghis Khan when it comes to the value of human life verses completion of his own aims. He embraces what he thinks is his ‘hard man’ image which will have been reinforced by his employment in the FSB (previously KGB) so his ego is now wrapped up in looking strong. He clearly has a ‘Napoleon’ complex and beneath everything is/has been trying to recreate the old Soviet Union Empire which like a termite ridden tree collapsed of its own volition in the last century.
The point of optimum danger for the world is when he completely loses militarily in the Ukraine but let’s hope his own people have removed him by then which is a growing possibility.
So back to the wild bear rules to avoid any attacks: -
Rule 1. Stand your ground - if a bear charges you. Bears run far faster than humans, and you're likely to encourage the bear to chase you if you run. Instead, wave your arms and make a lot of noise. Try to make yourself seem bigger by using your coat or backpack to add size. Often, the bear will decide to turn away rather than attack.
When Russia unlawfully invaded the Ukraine:-
- The population bravely stood its ground in all manner of ways and refused to give in despite Russia’s boasting it would all be over in days.
- The Ukrainian government, led defiantly by President Zelensky made a great deal of noise on the world stage and continues to do so which has made the world sit up and instead of just political gasbagging has actually made nations of the free world take hard yet positive action.
- By aligning itself with NATO, the UN, the Baltic States, Scandinavia, the UK, the US and so forth the Ukraine has been given massive ‘size’ in the form of military aid, civilian resources and political power.
- By turning every adult male and many valiant females between the age of 16 to 60 in to troops or support units it has made itself even bigger militarily.
Rule 2. Employ bear spray - if a bear charges at you. Bear spray is a type of pepper spray that sprays up to 30 feet (9.1 m). Spray towards the head and eyes.
In this brutal war invoked by Russia it seems the Ukrainians are faster, more ferocious and infinitely more successful by hitting hard the lines of Russian army communications and resources, effectively making the Russian commanders blind on the battlefield. This is partly why so many officers have been killed as they need to be close to their troops in order to get a handle on what is going on.
Rule 3. Play dead - if a bear does attack you.
On the Russian bandits illicit foray into a neighbouring sovereign nation’s territory - There was no real time for the Ukraine to play dead given the quick unfolding of events when Russia illegally invaded. Since then surrendering or doing nothing has proved to be a useless strategy – prisoners are tortured, innocent women and children raped and abused plus 402,000 Ukrainians, including 84,000 children, have been taken into Russia against their will. These illegal deportees will no doubt end up in gulags to be used as hostages for the future.
402,000 people enslaved by Putin is nearly 1% of the entire population ripped from their homeland.
84,000 children – On that single piece of evidence alone Putin is already the worst war criminal since the Second World War.
Rule 4. Fight back - if the bear keeps attacking you.
I think without argument everyone would say the Ukrainians have fought back with ferocity, ingenuity and no lack of bravery. In 2019 a British backpacker survived a serious bear attack when he followed his girlfriend’s instruction to “punch it on the nose”. He did it continuously until the bear eventually gave up and released him long enough to make an escape. Every day we read, see and hear of the Ukrainian military punching well above their weight directly on to the Russian bear’s snout – sinking warships, killing generals, destroying tanks by the dozen and in many other ways.
So our message to the Ukrainians from the rest of the world – JUST KEEP PUNCHING!
SO WHAT OTHER THINGS MIGHT WE AS HUMANS DO TO STOP A RUSSIAN BEAR ATTACK THAT WE CANNOT DO TO A WILD BEAR?
The answer is where you and I come in – SANCTIONS
You cannot sanction a wild bear economically without destroying the delicate eco-structure of their forest or snow environment which would mean other wild animals would suffer who are innocent – something we should never do as we have screwed up the planet far too much already.
Yet the current economic sanctions are putting the squeeze on the Russian population who sooner or later will transfer that pressure on to attempting Putin’s removal. Secondly, the confiscations from the crim-billionaire oligarchs is having an effect. Latest news: -
- Several Russian oligarchs have publicly broadcasted their opposition to the Ukraine war — a sign that Putin is losing his grip on the country's elite. Sanctioned billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska were some of the first Russian businessmen to share their disapproval of the invasion, a rare showing of public disagreement with the Kremlin - ‘Loss of money loosens lips’.
- War criminal Putin’s own yacht the ‘Scheherazade’ has been seized in Italy just eleven hours ago. Great news – let him suffer a little even if it is only financially.
All of you who have kindly signed our petition agree with me these crim-billionaire assets must be sold immediately and the funds used as itemized in our main document. Imagine the symbolism to the entire world if Putin’s yacht was sold off. At a value of US$650 million think of those released funds flowing to all the aid agencies and cities in countries like Poland who have taken in Ukrainian refugees – it would change the game as they say.
SELL THOSE ASSETS NOW SO PUTIN STARTS TO PAY WITH HIS OWN MONEY FOR THE MISERY AND SUFFERING HE HAS IMPOSED ON THE INNOCENT UKRANIAN POPULATION.
Update and rant over.
Today, the 8th May 2022, is a landmark day for all of us. When I first drew up our petition people told me I would not even get to a 100 signatures – yet at 3.40 pm UK time we went straight through -
10,000
That is all down to you caring heroines and heroes who have taken the time to read and sign our petition. You truly care.
There is not a font size big enough to express my true gratitude so I will work with what I have –
THANK YOU SO MUCH
‘Keep Spreading The Message’
Love to All
Neil xx