A Grizzly bear came charging at woman during a trip and she did the only thing she could — and it ended up saving her life
Encounters with large animals in the wild can be really terrifying most of the time. However, a group visiting the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Canada, with their guide hadn't expected to have a reasonably calm encounter with a huge grizzly bear. The bear was only five feet away from their guide and only 10 feet away from them. But the guide managed to keep her calm and did something that ensured that the bear wouldn't harm the group, according to an Instagram post by one visitor, Sarah Sekula, who goes by @findyoursomewhere on the platform. The video received around 5,422 views.
"I was in British Columbia last year when this massive grizzly bounded down the stream in front of us," Sarah shared in the caption to the video. She was recording from a distance as a bear came into view all of a sudden. The guide was sitting in front of all of them in a grey hoodie and didn't move at all when she saw the wild animal. Sarah was in complete disbelief over what was happening to her. It was also her first time seeing a grizzly bear "up close." No one could believe how the guide had managed to stay so calm in that situation. "No, no, you can't come up here, okay," the guide calmly told the bear. She was talking to the bear as if she were talking to a child.
"You are alright," the guide continued. She didn't move from her place even when the bear started moving closer. People could be heard chanting "no, no, no" in the background as the bear closed in on them. But as it decided to move away from the group after considering them, the guide simply said, "You are welcome." The bear went on its way and everyone was super surprised. The guide, Robinson, knew the area really well and knew loads about bear behavior, according to the caption. "The bears had recently emerged from hibernation, she told us and fishing was their priority."
"Believe it or not, in Robinson’s ten years as a guide in the Great Bear Rainforest, she has never needed to use her bear spray," a shocked Sarah revealed. "The Kitasoo Xai’xais people believe that bears are like family members. That said, they have great respect and admiration for the wildlife around them. Our group of journalists and photographers, too, had that same reverence. We came to learn about the Kitasoo Xai’xais culture and the Great Bear Rainforest." The group had set out to find the "elusive spirit bear." She added, "The Great Bear Rainforest is the only place on the planet where you’ll find the cream-colored bears." The group didn't see any spirit bears, but was able to spot a lot of other interesting wildlife.
Sarah also shared more key information if anyone else wished to visit the rainforest. People shared their thoughts on the scary encounter in the comments section of the video. @nathoutsidethebox wrote, "Wow! So cool and respect to the guide and her amazing calm." @cherrienatureadventures commented, "That's amazing! I would be resisting the urge to hug the bear." @themunverescapes remarked, "This is the kind of experience I want to see! But hell, I'd be freaking out with it being so close."
You can follow Sarah Sekula (@findyoursomewhere) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.
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