A Canadian man managed to capture video of the frightening moment a grizzly bear charged at him as he walked through town but he managed to escape the incident unharmed.
The encounter happened on September 2 in Rossland, British Columbia. According to Storyful, Jeremy Girard was scrolling through his phone as he walked home when, suddenly, he heard a noise.
"I looked up and saw a bear running, quickly setting up video on my phone, I swung around as a bear charged me," said Girard. "Although common to see bears in Rossland, it is rare for a grizzly bear to be in town."
The video shows the bear charging at Girard before veering off to the side at the last moment.
Eventually, the bear retreats, leaving Girard alone again.
"Holy f**k, that's a grizzly bear," Girard says as the bear runs away. "That was close."
As it turns out, the bear was likely not interested in hurting Girard but rather intimidating him, a tactic known as "bluff charging," says Outsider.
According to the National Parks Service's (NPS) website, bears employ two types of charges: bluff charges and aggressive charges. Bluff charges are more common, and are meant to "scare and intimidate."
"When a bear bluff charges, it will have its head and ears up and forward," NPS's website says. "The bear will puff itself up to look bigger. It will bound on its front paws toward you (moving in big leaps), but then stop short or veer off to one side."
To prevent an attack, NPS says it's important to remain calm.
"Do NOT run during a bluff charge, it may trigger the bear to attack," says NPS.
"When the bear charges you, hold your ground and stay calm. After the bear charges, slowly retreat while keeping an eye on the bear. Let the bear know that you're a human, and that you aren't a threat."
Individuals are also encouraged to speak calmly to the bear before and after the charge.
Fortunately, Girard knew how to respond, and walked away from the encounter unscathed.
Shortly after the whole ordeal, Girard posted the video to his Instagram account. Several commenters expressed that they were happy to know that Girard was okay.
"Omg, so glad you're safe," said Instagram user @pabbster.
"You must have caught her on a good day," added user @lindam_apricot. "Glad it ended well."
Uncommon Knowledge
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