A video shared with NBC Montana, shows a grizzly bear chasing hikers in Glacier National Park. The clip, filmed by Dulé Krivdich and his wife, documents the bear charging after a group on Sunday.
Krivdich tells NBC Montana, “I’d say a 500+ pound grizzly, came through a treeline, down a meadow and swiftly on to the trail itself to get to wherever he wanted to go.” He continues that since they could see the situation from above, they alerted the group, who were unaware of the bear coming towards them. “We from above start yelling that there is a bear barreling down the same trail,” he says.
In the video, you can hear Krivdich and his wife advising from above, “Make noise!” followed by audible yelling from the hikers below. A gasp is heard behind the camera as the bear begins to chase down the trail. You can then hear “Don’t run!” shouted, but the video shows the hikers sprinting up the hill to avoid the bear.
Krivdich adds in his story of the encounter in shock, “They did the worst thing, they RAN!” Though bear attacks are somewhat rare, encounters and sightings are no surprise in bear country. Therefore, preparation, in order to avoid a bear attack, is crucial. It is advised to sidestep away, so as to not threaten the bear with fast movements. According to The National Park Service, bears, similar to dogs, will be triggered to chase if they see you running away.
NPS recommends moving to higher ground, making noise, and limiting the bear’s access to human food if an encounter occurs. Furthermore, bear spray can be useful to carry if a bear begins to charge. Learning how to safely maneuver animal encounters is imperative before exploring trails that house the large wild predators.
