Climate change, shorter winters, and competition over water and other dwindling supplies may also play a role, according to Chris Servheen, a retired coordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service.<\/p>\n
Outforia, a website for outdoor enthusiasts, has ranked the brown bear as the deadliest large wild animal in America.<\/p>\n
The large carnivores have attacked and killed 70 people since 1970, says the group’s founder, Carl Borg.<\/p>\n
Other dangerous animals include snakes, which claimed 57 lives over the same period, followed by black bears (54 fatalities), alligators (33), cougars (16), polar bears (10), and wolves.<\/p>\n
Borg urged outdoor enthusiasts to ‘be prepared’ for encounters with wild animals that inhabit the areas they visit.<\/p>\n
‘Different animals mean different protocols when facing an attack,’ he said.<\/p>\n
‘There are lots of things you can do to avoid an animal attack but knowing whether to stay calm or fight back is key.’<\/p>\n
In the face of a coyote attack, humans are advised to stand their ground, appear confident, make a noise, and even throw something at the animal.<\/p>\n
That’s how the father of the Seattle-area victim responded when a coyote mauled his daughter last week.<\/p>\n
Chang Tong and his daughter, Lena, had just stepped out of the family’s stunning $2.3 million home in the desirable Bellevue neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Tong said they thought the gray-and-white canine was a pet dog, so Lena reached out to touch it – but it responded by latching its jaws onto her palm and dragging her.<\/p>\n
‘With just one second, the coyote just bit her hand and tried to drag her,’ Tong told CBS affiliate KIRO.<\/p>\n