Wildlife encounters can lead to injury, fatalities, and property damage, therefore when working in the wilderness there is a need for U of A field personnel to be aware of wildlife, including bears and cougars. A clean camp and practicing wildlife awareness and avoidance are your two best methods of eliminating wildlife related hazards in field work.
If there is a risk of encountering either bears and/or cougars in the field please take the following courses respectively through HSE:
Bear Awareness and Safety Course: Covers bear identification, how to stay safe in “bear country”, how to avoid and manage bear encounters, and how to use bear spray safely
Cougar Awareness and Safety Course: Covers how to avoid and manage cougar encounters