Sure, we love bears when they show up in books or cartoons. But what if one is outside our window? Human-bear encounters are becoming far more frequent as development continues to spread and people and bears seek similar resources of food, water, and shelter. National Geographic Explorer and large-carnivore ecologist Rae Wynn-Grant dispels a few myths about bear behavior, describes what it’s like to cuddle a bear cub, and offers tips on what to do if you find a bear in your backyard—or bump into one in the wild.

For more information on this episode, visit natgeo.com/overheard.

Want more?

If you haven’t seen the viral Instagram video of Rae Wynn-Grant cuddling with bear cubs for science, you can watch that here.

And you can keep up with her adventures with more species, like ring-tailed lemurs and African lions, on her website, r aewynngrant.com.

Or you can also listen to her podcast, Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, where you can hear her interview fellow conservationists about their work, from studying hyenas in Kenya to coyotes in California.

Also explore:

Read Christine Dell’Amore’s piece about how bears and other wild animals have adapted to urban areas across the U.S.

If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.

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There’s a Bear in My Backyard