A terrifying video shows a large brown bear charging toward a Southern California hiker in Angeles National Forest, as the man makes the unusual decision to move toward the animal.

In the video, a man dressed in hiking gear and wearing a hat is seen walking toward the bear—not away—and shaking bells in an apparent attempt to scare it off.

Instead, the agitated animal appears to charge toward him before the video cuts off. The close, face-to-face encounter—just feet apart—was captured by another hiker nearby.

“I was thinking this guy is crazy, and I hope nothing happens to him,” Erin Chiu, who recorded the video, told NBCLA.

“I’m not sure what was going through his mind, to be honest, because the last thing you would expect is for someone to actually walk toward a bear. At that point, I was a little concerned for his safety.”

Chiu told the network he hikes the same trail at least three times a week for about 10 miles each time and had never seen a bear there until now.

He said he and his friends hiked up the trail and hid behind bushes to let the animal pass, avoiding any confrontation.

The hiker was eventually able to slowly back away as the bear moved toward him. Experts say the most important thing to remember if you encounter a bear is simple: do not run.

According to the National Park Service, running can trigger a chase response, as bears can easily outrun humans.

Instead, people should remain calm, stand their ground, and speak in a low voice so the animal recognizes them as human, as most encounters end without injury when the bear does not feel threatened.

Bear sightings have become increasingly common in Los Angeles County, particularly in foothill communities like Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Castaic, and Arcadia.

This encounter occurred in Arcadia, in Los Angeles County.

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