A video is going viral today after a woman filmed herself bravely standing up to a grizzly bear as it took a sinister interest in her dog.
The anonymous woman is being praised as heroic as well as being congratulated on her ice-cold camera skills as she continued filming the encounter despite being in grave danger.
The video is believed to have been filmed in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, and it shows what appears to be a juvenile grizzly stalking the woman’s dogs as she shouts and yells at the bear.
“This video was taken by a friend of mine, it is the craziest bear encounter I have seen and it’s a miracle she and her dog made it out of this situation safely,” writes Elysia Boyd on Instagram.
“Let this be a reminder to always carry bear spray while hiking in bear country. An encounter can happen at any time.”
The bear appears to be mainly interested in the woman’s dog, which is cowed and afraid. When the dog turns its back, the bear charges at the pooch and the woman. At one point, the brown bear is frighteningly close to the two of them.
Like anything on the internet, armchair experts were in the comments, offering their two cents.
“To everyone coming in here with your she should’ve done this and that’ advice and ‘my dog would’ve scared it off!’ or ‘she should’ve had her handgun on her!’ — This is in Canada. This is a GRIZZLY bear. This is NOT a black bear. This is an apex predator that is EXTREMELY aggressive, with massive claws,” writes one person beneath Boyd’s post.
“Get your heads out from between your cheeks. Your dogs would be DEAD. You would be DEAD. Her making noise and talking down at the bear while walking away slowly is EXACTLY what you’re supposed to do in this situation. It would catch the dog, by the way, if the dog went off-leash. Just stop.”
Photographer Dave Landage, who frequently photographs bears in Alberta, also shared the video, highlighting that the encounter could have ended very differently.
“Keep your pets on a leash, carry bear spray, and give bears the space they deserve,” he says.
“Just a quick tip for everyone who can’t keep their cameras steady while walking or driving or standing and watching a sunset. Contact this lady and take lessons,” jokes one person.
PetaPixel covered a hiker’s encounter with a mountain lion a few years ago. It’s also reminiscent of the infamous cougar encounter in Utah a few years back.
Image credits: via Elysia Boyd
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