There's one thing you are never supposed to do when you encounter a bear: run. If bears see you running, they're likely to instinctively chase you, especially if they feel territorial. It seems like one group of hikers in Glacier National Park did not get the memo. TikToker @nolanboerboom posted a video of his group's close call with a bear that happened recently. Some members of the group's flight response kicked in, and off they went running up the rocks to escape the meat-eating mammal. It's hard to tell if it is a black bear or a grizzly from the video's angle, but the park does have populations of both.
https://www.tiktok.com/@nolanboerboom/video/7147111290991807790?_t=8W6iSN2RQ5a&_r=1
The bear calmly saunters up the trail behind the hikers as they do their best to scurry up the rocks ahead of him. Thankfully, it all ended up okay, and the bear decided it had better things to do. In retrospect, you can't quite blame the runners. It would be hard to suppress the urge to flee for your life, especially if you haven't had much experience in bear country. But bears can easily chase down, overpower, and maul a person, so running is never in your best interest. Bear sightings seem to happen more often in September as crowds at national parks wind down and the weather begins changing.
The U.S. National Parks Service says that if you see a bear, you should stand your ground and make yourself look larger by slowly waving your arms. Bears generally try to avoid humans, so the point is to make them realize you are one and not some sort of prey. The NPS says a bear still may come to check you out. They are curious creatures, after all. If one approaches on its hind legs, it's not necessarily getting ready to attack. It's more likely that the bear wants to get the best view and examine you. Just stay calm. Of course, if that isn't working, you can make noise or resort to bear spray if absolutely necessary. Unfortunately for these hikers, the wind was too strong, and though there are different types of bear spray, it likely would not have been effective for them.
READ MORE: The 7 Worst Recorded Bear Attacks of All Time
