With mom taking the lead in the hike, her partner has their youngest in a backpack baby carrier and their adorable six-year-old named Griffin is walking alongside him. Mom filmed a video of an unbelievable encounter they had on one of their most recent hikes. In the distance, the partner and their kids are walking toward the camera. Not far behind them is a giant bear. You can hear the man saying “It’s like five feet away from me,” before turning around and pointing to the apex predator. The caption on the video “My 6 yr old as calm as a cucumber” was originally uploaded to Tik Tok, garnering over three million views! The couple yells to try to deter the bear and scare it off. For anyone planning a hiking trip in the future, it’s important to know that the National Park Services says, “Yelling, screaming, or sudden movement may trigger an attack.” A closed caption on the video mentions that the friendly bear follows the family for over half of a mile, despite them trying to get rid of it. At one point, the mother makes a comical comment to the bear and tells it to “go home,” before picking up their middle child. While we wish that sentiment worked, the wild animal continued to follow the group. After reminding her toddler to not run, he calmly asks “Can we play dead yet?” Throughout it all, the toddler is unfazed by the stalking bear! The only time you should play dead during a bear attack is if a mother grizzly is attacking you with her young nearby. Playing dead anytime other than that can get you hurt very quickly. With Griffin acting calm as can be, we learn that the area the group is hiking in has been closed multiple times in the past due to increasing rates of aggressive bear behavior. If you happen to come across a bear while trekking or wandering in the woods, concentrate on establishing yourself as a person and assuring the bear that you are not a threat. Keep your arms gently raised over your head while remaining motionless. Maintain a cool demeanor and talk in low tones. Make no attempt to replicate a bear roar or any other high-pitched sound. When confronted with a bear, your inclination may be to turn and flee, but this is one of the worst things you can do. Bears, like dogs, have a predatory drive to hunt sprinting animals, thus running may just attract the bear’s attention.
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