Nerve-wracking video: Bear stalks family on hike
(NewsNation) — It started as a peaceful hike in Windsor, Canada for a young family consisting of a mom, dad and two kids enjoying the weather. But it turned into a frightening experience when a momma bear decided to join them on the trail.
“OK, he is following you, babe,” said the Utah mother, reassuring her 6-yeear-old as the bear walked behind them. “He’s following us,” she said to her husband shortly after.
Although they tried to make enough noise to scare the bear, yelling at it to stop coming any closer, the animal seemed unphased.
The mother filming the frightening encounter is an influencer named Brighton Peachey. She posted the video to her 77,000 followers, writing “at first we thought we were just in the way of the direction he was headed but then we started to wonder if he was stalking us.”
In her Instagram post, Peachey said the family “later learned they’ve had to close this area multiple times because of this bear’s increasing aggressive behavior.”
The bear followed them for about 20 minutes for more than half a mile but never got aggressive, according to Peachey.
Although caught in a scary situation. the family did all the right things.
The National Park Service gives some tips on what to do if a bear is paying attention to you: First, do not run. Second, identify yourself so the bear knows you are a human and not a prey animal. Third, make sure to hike in groups. And hardest of all, stay calm.