A man ran after a bear to scare the animal and avoid a possible attack. The case happened earlier this month in Alaska during a guided tour of Chinitna Bay.
While observing bears in their natural habitat, a group of tourists were surprised when a bear quickly approached them.
Luckily, guide Martin Boland showed great courage when he ran up to the bear with his camera and shouted at it loudly.
The animal, startled by Martin’s quick reaction to danger, returned to the water. According to the Chron website, the guide has more than 10 years of bearvisiting experience.
Guide Martin Boland who has over ten years experience visiting bears. (Photo: Playback/Chron)
An emotional video of the encounter, published on the Instagram social network under the @scenicbearviewing account, first shows a calm bear digging holes in the national park while tourists captured the moment.
The animal was about 25 meters away. However, the camera quickly focused on a distant grizzly bear that began running towards the group, making for a very tense moment.
At that moment, guide Martin Boland reacted and managed to scare the bear away.
After the event, the tour company that had been guiding the tourists posted advice on its Instagram account.
Scenic Bear Viewing company warned of the importance of distinguishing real bear attacks from bluffs, as is done in the video. (Photo: Instagram Scenic Bear Viewing)
They warned: “Never run from a charging bear, even if you do it instinctively. This is a bluff. They’re just trying to make you work. Bears have a natural hunting instinct. Do not approach bears in the wild. Make sure you have an experienced guide with you! We approach no closer than 50 meters. It was the bear coming toward us.
The company added that in the 30 years that people have visited the area, there has never been a bear attack.
Scenic Bear Viewing offers tourists the opportunity to see bears in the wild. The group departs Homer, Alaska in a plane piloted by Martin and flies to Katmai or Lake Clark National Parks. According to the company, brown bears generally live between 20 and 25 years, but some can live as long as 35.
Differences between true attack and bluff
Moment when the bear runs towards tourists. (Photo: Instagram Scenic Bear Viewing)
In the Instagram post, the US National Park Service advises visitors to distinguish between bluff accusations and aggressive accusations.
Accused of bluffing to be intimidating, the service recommends standing firm and not running away in case it provokes an actual attack. In a bluff attack, as was the case in the Alaskan incident, the bear makes great leaps but eventually backs away.
With an aggressive attack, the bear quickly attacks a person. If you encounter a grizzly bear, it’s best to play dead and remain as still as possible so the bear doesn’t perceive you as a threat.
When dealing with a black bear, the person must fight as hard as possible to protect themselves.
And you, would you dare to see bears up close?
Watch the video: