Yona, our beloved bear mascot is no stranger to the Jamboree. Rumor has it that the cousin of Yona, Mona, decided to visit for a cup of tea. Turns out, it popped up in the Echo Base Camp tents looking for Yona, to no avail, but it did help itself to some food in the tents. Mona is a black bear cub and generally avoids contact with humans but may pose a threat if you are not careful.

Mona is a foodie and is very easily distracted by the smell of food. It is best not to bring food into your tent because you might distract Mona from looking for Yona. Mona does not really know how to use the front door of the tent and usually just makes an opening from the side. If Mona is feeling adventurous, your personal belongings may get scavenged, which is extremely inconvenient.

Some may say that a small cub would pose no harm, until you remember that mama bear is likely very close. Mama bear is very protective of Mona and will attack if you get to close to Mona.
If you think you can outrun the bears, think again. Black bears may be big, but they can definitely beat you at running and tree climbing.

Now, we do not want anyone to get hurt, so the jamboree security team has put up a few safety guidelines that you can follow if you encounter our bear friends:

  1. Do not approach the bears and do not draw attention.
  2. Keep your eyes on the bear and back away slowly.
  3. Do not throw food at them or feed them.
  4. Call the emergency number located on the back of your name tag.
  5. Notify your local base camp HQ and wait for help.

Also, to discourage bear encounters in the first place, make sure to dispose of all food and trash into dumpsters. Do not store food in tents.

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