It’s tough for wildlife here in the Arizona this time of year. Especially this summer, when the heat in the southern half of the state has broken all kinds of records. We recently went 31 straight days when the thermometer rose above 110 degrees, which nearly doubled the record set 50 years ago.

But we humans mostly get to live in air-conditioning. Our wild animals do not. I mention this because despite the fact that our creatures are suited for the heat, these extremes are putting pressure on them.

A case in point: Recently, a man was sitting by his cabin in the woods drinking a cup of coffee and a black bear attacked him for no apparent reason. Both the man and the bear were killed in the altercation. Attacks by bears are extremely rare, and after a necropsy found the bear had no underlying health conditions that might have precipitated the attack, researchers were puzzled. Though the bear was well-fed, the idea now is the animal was just hunting for food, the hot, dry weather having made those searches more difficult. Bears have a great sense of smell and perhaps it was scavenging and sensed a meal at the cabin.

I bring this up because when living around bears and other wild creatures, we should know what to do when one appears. I have spent a great deal of time in wilderness areas and have always prided myself on being ready in case of an emergency. Of course, knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things.

One day outside of Greer, Arizona, up in the White Mountains, my outdoor skills were seriously tested, and I failed miserably. Georgie—my beautiful little black-and-white collie—and I got into a jam on a mountain trail. It was a spectacular blue-sky-puffy-white-clouds kind of day. The sweet scent of pine and moist forest earth permeated the air.

Then a noise made me stop and look uphill. I noticed thick vegetation swaying back and forth. My first thought was an elk, but the foliage was not very tall, so an elk would have been visible. The plants continued moving as I remained still on the narrow trail. Georgie stood beside me. I sensed it was a bear heading toward us, because I knew of no other creature that could move those plants with such force.

I’d never met a bear on foot in the wild.  My understanding was that I should make myself look as big as possible by raising my arms in the air and create a lot of noise. Most importantly, I should not run.

I thought about those things, but stood frozen. I glanced at Georgie, who sniffed the air beside me. Our eyes met. Then, to my surprise, my dog bolted back up the trail and disappeared around a rocky bend. I looked toward the swaying shrubs trying to gage the size of the animal that was approaching. I ran over the rules in my head: Stay calm. Stand upright. Make loud noises. Slowly back away. Do not run!

And what did I do?

I ran…skittering over loose stones, dodging roots and rocks. I didn’t turn around, afraid of what I might see. The famous quote from the great Satchel Paige popped into my head. “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.”

I ran until I doubled over, out of breath.

Georgie was waiting for me on the trail, looking a  little guilty. Other than the thumping of my heart, the woods were quiet, only a breeze pushing through the pines.

Later, Georgie and I made our way back to civilization. Perhaps, because we were both embarrassed by our reactions, we never spoke of our encounter again.

So, the next time you’re out in nature and run into a bear DO NOT do what I did. Follow the rules and be safe. And have a chat with your dog ahead of time.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

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