There’s nothing like a good old fashioned camping trip to get out and really get in touch with nature.
However, I’d say that getting this in touch with nature is actually a step too far. This black bear encounter turned out to be harmless, though I’d venture to say that the person who was at risk in the video would say it was too close for comfort.
In the clip, a person is sitting in a chair taking in all that the blazing campfire has to offer, when nature decides to offer up a little bit more. A black bear comes wandering out of the woods and right up to the campsite, and the camper is stuck in a frozen trance as it approaches.
When confronted with a bear, you are usually supposed to make yourself appear bigger by standing tall, raising your arms, and speaking towards the bear with a deep voice.
It’s possible that this person simply didn’t have time to “get into position” with the black bear on the move, and instead opted to stay put in their chair and hope for the best.
What ended up being “the best” was still pretty scary, considering that the bear seemed to be sizing up the camper. As it walked between the chair and the campfire, it stopped to sniff around on the ground, and then sniffed its way to the person’s leg.
While looking right at the person (and funny enough, right into the camera), the bear decided to be bold and nibbled on the camper’s kneecap. The person sitting in the chair quickly pulls their leg away, which actually startles the bear a bit.
Someone in the background that must have watched the whole thing go down added some very helpful commentary to the situation, saying:
“He just tried to bite you, bro.”
Yeah, thanks bro, that helps out a lot…
The bear stays put after the camper yanks their knee away from the big bruin, and then the person breaks the number one “do not do” rule of bear encounters: they jolt up out of their chair and they run away.
I’m no animal expert, but I definitely wouldn’t advise running away from a bear. It appears to have worked out for this person in the video, and they are lucky that all they have to show for the bear encounter is a little bruin slobber on their kneecap.
Take a look:
