A man in Colorado captured the terrifying moment a mama grizzly bear charged his vehicle. Avid skier Calvin Barrett filmed the incident on his cell phone as an adult grizzly and her three cubs attempted climbing over a wall into the woods.
While the mother and two her cubs made the climb with ease, the last one struggled to mount the wall. The cub then lets out a cry for help, causing the mother to turn back and see Barrett’s slow-moving vehicle. Protecting her cub, the grizzly then charges the car.
Barrett uploaded the video of the mama grizzly and her cubs on Instagram. Since posting, it has been viewed more than 60k times. Barrett addressed the frightening encounter in the caption. “Slowed down to check out some bears on the way into Montana,” Barrett wrote. “Kinda goes without saying but, friendly reminder: don’t f**k with mama bears, or any mamas for that matter.”
Many commenters voiced criticisms of how those in the vehicle handled the situation. “For future reference, I’ve been informed that the way we approached the bears, slowing down, and invading their space is not safe nor respectful wildlife viewing practice,” Barrett wrote. “So if you find yourself in this situation be sure to stay back and give any wildlife a chance to move out of sight before moving forward.”
According to the BEAR Smart Society, there are multiple reasons to slow down the vehicle in these kinds of situations. Firstly, wildlife can be unpredictable. Secondly, there may be other cars approaching that didn’t see the animals. Thirdly, some animals travel in groups, so be on the lookout for more bears in the area.
[H/T Daily Mail]
