Hikers speak out after grizzly bear encounter caught on camera
Two hikers are speaking out after they encountered grizzly bears while hiking in Glacier National Park in Montana this week.
Alyssa Olsen from New Zealand and Mason Van Zeeland from Wisconsin told ABC News that passing hikers had warned them about the presence of grizzly bears before one grizzly bear ran past them and a second stopped near them.
"I was kind of like, joking, and then the bear growled and I was like, 'Oh no, this ain't happy times anymore,'" Olsen said.
Van Zeeland shared a video of the encounter on Instagram and in the clip, Olsen can be heard saying, "We're going to die. We're actually gonna die. Holy heck!"
The hiking partners thought they could wait out the situation.
"We decided after a few minutes to keep going and just stay ready and I guess, being optimistic isn't always the best," Van Zeeland said.
After one bear made eye contact with him, Van Zeeland said that’s when he used the bear spray he was carrying.
"It definitely looked at us and then that's when I let out a little spray and it turned the other way and ran off into the woods by the lake," Van Zeeland said.
Olsen and Van Zeeland suspect the two bears could have been siblings. They said they're doing fine since the incident, but hope their experience can remind others to do research before heading out into bear country and to always carry bear spray.
The National Park Service also recommends the following bear safety tips.
The minimum recommended safe distance to keep between you and a bear is at least 100 yards or 91 meters.
- If a bear or other animal is moving in your direction on a trail, get out of its way and let it pass.
- If you can move away, do so. If moving away appears to agitate the bear, stop. In general, bears show agitation by swaying their heads, huffing, and clacking their teeth. Lowered head and laid-back ears also indicate aggression. Bears may stand on their hind legs or approach to get a better view, but these actions are not necessarily signs of aggression. The bear may not have identified you as a person and may be unable to smell or hear you from a distance. Help the bear recognize you as a friendly human.
- Talk quietly.
- Do not run! Back away slowly. Stop if it seems to agitate the bear.
- Use your peripheral vision. Bears may interpret direct eye contact as threatening.
- Continue to move away as the situation allows.
- If a bear appears intent on approaching you, your group, or your campsite in a non-defensive manner (not showing signs of agitation), gather your group together, make noise, and try to discourage the bear from further approaching. Prepare to deploy your bear spray. If you are preparing or consuming food, secure it. DO NOT LET THE BEAR GET YOUR FOOD!
- If a bear approaches in a defensive manner (appears agitated and/or charges), stop. Do not run. Talk quietly to the bear. Prepare to deploy your bear spray. If contact appears imminent and you do not have bear spray, protect your chest and abdomen by falling to the ground on your stomach, clasp your hands around the back of your neck, and leave your pack on for protection. If the bear attempts to roll you over, try to stay on your stomach. If the attack is defensive, the bear will leave once it recognizes you are not a threat. If the attack is prolonged, FIGHT BACK!
