Runner Comes Face to Face With a Bear On a One-Way Path... Watch What Happens

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Coming face to face with a massive bear is never anyone’s idea of a good time. It’s even tougher to deal with when you’re not expecting that to happen. Let’s see what happens to a runner who comes within feet of a bear on a one-way path in California.

Brown Bear Sighting In California

A runner’s video went viral after she quite literally ran into a bear in Sierra Madre, California. ABC7 News picked up the story and shared it on their YouTube channel. The footage starts out with Laura Gold, the runner on a hiking trail. It is a seemingly hot sunny day. She turns the bend in the next corner. And expects to see more trees and the rocky terrain laid out in front of her. But, instead, she is met by his mama brown bear and her two cubs.

USA Today reported the following.”While I was trail running alone, I was about 5 inches from hitting momma bear after turning a tight blind corner,” wrote the runner in an Instagram post. “To prevent myself from hitting her, I stopped as fast as I could and almost slid down the mountain doing so.”

Next, we hear the sounds of the runner yelling loudly and deepening her voice as she’s backing up. While this might seem like she did the right thing, we can’t be too quick to congratulate her. According to the National Park Service making noise is not the best course of action with bears. “Do not make any loud noises or screams—the bear may think it’s the sound of a prey animal.” It is best to wave your arms above your head. This way you’re making yourself appear to be large, and then back away slowly.

Lucky for this runner, the bear kept her distance. But as we can see the bear still followed her to make sure the threat towards her cubs was eliminated.

Where Do Brown Bears Live?

Brown bears (Ursus arctos) can be found living throughout Asia, Eurasia, Europe, and North America. According to the San Diego Zoo, they are often found in forests, mountain areas, tundras, and sometimes semi-desert areas.

The brown bear population is standing under 200,000 currently. Their conservation status is considered to be stable. One of the most famous brown bears is the grizzly bear (Ursus Arctos Horriblis). And their population is under 60,000 individuals. This leaves their conservation status as threatened.

It’s important to know what type of animals are in the areas that you will be visiting. The runner in the video above most likely assumed she was just going out for an enjoyable run that day. But, by knowing the animals in your area it gives us the ability to choose where you visit. And how to react to animal confrontations.