This grizzly bear was way too close.
When you are wandering around the backcountry of North America, it is extremely important to be "bear aware." Because a large grizzly can easily kill a human if desires. In most instances, it is good to give the bears plenty of space. Especially if it is a sow with cubs. Because the mother bears can be quite defensive about their young.
Sometimes, an encounter is simply unavoidable. When it happens, it is important to know what to do when a bear gets too close. Because it could save your life someday. Case in point is this footage from Alaska where a guide has taken a group out into the wilderness.
Unfortunately, they end up a little too close to a sow and her brand-new cubs. The bear is extremely curious about the humans and keeps approaching closer and closer until the guide is forced to take action to spook the bear off. What happens is a good lesson in how to deal with a close bear encounter.
Whew, talk about a tense 70 seconds! Especially that bluff charge. In the video's description, he notes that they were pinched between the sow and her cubs. They made enough noise to ensure the mother bear was not surprised by their presence. At the same time, the bruin was probably a bit more curious than they would have liked.
The reason the guide did not use bear spray was because the spray was in the hands of an assistant next to the guy scaring the bruin away. What the guide and other people did here was close to by the book to how the National Park Service recommends handling these encounters. They encourage people to stand their ground, lest you trigger the animal's hunting instincts by running, and to wave your arms to make yourself as large as possible.
In this case, it worked to perfection and humans and bears went away unscathed. The guide notes in the video description he only has that .44 S&W handgun you saw as a last resort in case of attack. This is a situation no one wants to be forced into. Fortunately, the guide kept his cool and handled the situation extremely well. It's a good video to keep in mind the next time you find yourself adventuring in bear country.
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NEXT: WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A GRIZZLY BEAR
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