A hypothetical question about whether women would prefer to encounter a bear or an unknown man in the woods has sparked heated debate and deeper conversation about male violence.
Thousands of women on social media have revealed that they would rather stay with a bear than a strange man if they were alone in the woods since the question took off on TikTok.
The question has opened up a conversation about sexual violence where women shared that ‘the worst thing a bear can do is kill them,’ and yet bears don’t tend to attack people unless provoked.
“People would believe me if I said I was attacked by a bear,” one said, referencing how victims of sexual assault are often dismissed. “They didn’t ask you what you were wearing, or how many other bears had attacked you, or suggest that you might want to be attacked.”
Twenty-six women have allegedly been murdered in Australia at the hands of their partners or ex-partners so far in 2024, 12 more than this time last year.
Women attending a rally in Sydney calling for an end to gender-based violence held signs reading “Right now I prefer the damn bear” and “Women prefer the bear.”
Women attending a rally in Sydney calling for an end to gender-based violence held signs reading: “Right now I prefer the damn bear,” “Ladies prefer the bear” and “(I’d rather be) alone in the woods.” with a bear.”
The question is a veiled method of making people aware of the threat posed by a strange man, especially in the wake of the fatal stabbings in Sydney’s Bondi Junction.
A viral video of Screenshot revealed a Vox pop where seven random women chose the bear because they would feel safer.
“Men are scary,” one woman argued, while another said, “Bears don’t always attack you unless you (provoke) them.”
Many Australian women on a popular Facebook revealed that they had been arguing with their boyfriends and husbands about the matter after receiving a “wrong” response from them.
“If a man can’t even recognize the risk that many of them pose to women or the atrocities they have committed against us, then he doesn’t care,” one woman said. “I don’t think it’s stupid to end a relationship over this.”
“I’m taking my chances with the bear,” wrote another. “It may seem like a silly question, but the uproar of comments and responses is the reason the bear already feels more confident.”
The women rephrased the question by turning to their partners and saying, ‘If your daughter got lost in the woods, would you rather she found a bear or a man?’
A moment of enlightenment came when a husband asked, “What kind of man?”
His wife replied, ‘What kind of man… Lord, we never know what kind of man he will be until it is too late.’
Allena Hansen, an American woman who was attacked by a bear and had her face mutilated, also revealed that the attack was an anomaly when considering statistics on attacks on women.
‘I’m much more worried about the human predators I occasionally encounter in the mountains than the wild ones. “When people ask me why I carry a gun on my trips, I tell them it’s for drunks,” Hansen wrote on Reddit.
Allena Hansen, an American woman who was attacked by a bear and had her face mutilated, also revealed that the attack was an anomaly considering the statistics.
For the most part, the men couldn’t understand why most women preferred to meet a bear.
Jonathan from the US made a TikTok saying: “You all act like men are scarier than bears, you’re not watching enough nature documentaries.”
JJ, an ecology student, responded, “I know a lot about bears; I would still choose them over a strange man.” In the United States there are six fatal bear attacks a year and millions of people spend time in the forest and hiking,” she explained.
“When such attacks occur, it is usually when someone provokes a bear, not when it simply exists in its habitat.
“In general, you’ll be completely fine if you leave them alone and mind your own business; the same can’t be said for men.”
Men couldn’t understand why most women would prefer to meet a bear
Many women shared their thoughts on the debate.
“The bear lives in the forest, the man followed me,” said one.
‘Every woman knows another woman who has been raped or sexually assaulted, but no man knows a rapist. Cognitive dissonance,” wrote another.
An American shared: ‘I encountered a bear on a trail. It was ok. I met a guy near Yosemite and he followed me for hours. I hid from him for three hours, I had grass and dirt in my hair and everything.’
“My fiancé even said that if it were me instead of our daughter, he would choose the bear. Because you can scare away a bear,” said another.
Elise Phillips, deputy chief executive of Domestic Violence NSW, said gender inequality was driving a male violence crisis in Australia.
“It’s when we turn a blind eye that we see disrespectful behavior, it’s when we make excuses for violence,” he told WhatsNew2Day Australia.
‘It’s also the inequality we see in relation to salaries and the roles we play in our families, how we divide childcare and household care.
“This is about ensuring we have equity, representation and equal numbers of women in parliament and as CEOs and leaders of private sector companies.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, call 1800 RESPECT or the crisis helpline on 1800 199 008.
