This black bear in Bozeman, Montana was no match for a couple of smaller, irritating dogs.
Bears are known to be some of the most gifted predators on the planet. Even the less aggressive species like brown bears and black bears are equipped to be killing machines, if they so wish to be. Often times, they are instead opportunistic omnivores, and will try to avoid trouble or excessive exertion if they can.
As you’ll see in this footage that was filmed by Montana resident Jeana Paulson, this black bear accidentally found itself in a cage match against two hyper, barking dogs… and would have rather been anywhere else.
When the video starts, the two pet canines – one small and one large – had already cornered the sizable black bear in their fenced-in backyard. Something must have enticed the black bear to hop the fence, and that decision turned into quite possibly the biggest regret of the bear’s life.
All of the sudden, the wild animal found itself running away from the two dogs that were protecting their house and adjacent yard. The dogs – named Alvin and, ironically, Bear – were barking up a storm and pestering the black bear, all while their owner yelled for them to retreat.
At one point, Paulson can even be heard screaming:
“Get out of here bear! Get the f*** out of here.”
Trust me… the bear was trying.
It kept being stopped by Alvin and the dog named Bear, but it eventually was able to get some daylight and ran for it. Was this bear really fleeing because it was scared of the much smaller dogs? Or was it maybe more confused than anything else, and decided to high tail it to safety after the canines were relentless in their pursuit?
Who’s to say really, but it sure looks like the black bear didn’t want anything to do with this pair of dogs. After all, if something of their size thinks it has a chance to take on a bear, it must be crazy enough to be right. The black bear never tried to fight back, and instead chose to be peaceful in it’s not-so-easy exit from the backyard.
Even though the apex predator could have made short work of the much smaller creatures, it kept things civil. For a moment, it was once again cornered in another part of the yard, and that’s when the black bear’s flight instinct really kicked in. After an errant attempt to jump the chain-link fence earlier, the wild animal once again high-tailed it away from the dogs and was eventually successful in escaping the dog-policed yard.
Take a look:
What a nightmare scenario for the bear that I’m sure it will not be telling its bear friends about.
Those that came across the video online had mixed feelings. Some felt bad for the bear, while others thought the three animals may have just been playing with one another (the bear’s body language doesn’t read as such, in my opinion):
“Poor bear couldn’t escape the dogs.”
“They might have just been playing.”
“Those little dogs are scrappy.”
“I’m glad it all ended well.”
“The dog being named Bear is hilarious.”
The name of the dog really is the icing on the cake of the story.
