Grizzly bear runs straight at hikers, who react in the worst way

A grizzly bear was heading directly for a group of unsuspecting hikers, who clearly were clueless on dealing with bear encounters, as video shows.

A grizzly bear on a trail in Glacier National Park on Sunday was heading directly for a small group of unsuspecting hikers, who clearly were clueless about how to deal with bear encounters in the wild.

Another group of hikers on a switchback above those ill-informed hikers saw what was transpiring and began warning them about the approaching bear and shouted “get off the trail,” and then the grizzly started running.

Once the grizzly started running, the shouts of warning became louder and more urgent. You can hear someone in the distance yelling to “back up, back up,” and a woman nearby says, “They shouldn’t run” before yelling to them, “Don’t run, don’t run!”

So what did they do? Dulé Krivdich, who sent the video to NBC Montana, picks up the story he told the station:

“Just then, the griz made a bluff charge and we saw people booking it like we’ve never ever seen before in our lives. But I think that it was a case of the bear not knowing the people were coming up, [and] the people had no idea. But once they did, [they] did the worse [sic] thing, they ran!”

grizzly bear encounter

Fortunately, after the bluff charge, the grizzly continued on its way, disinterested in the running hikers.

“Thank goodness that it all went well afterwards,” Krivdich told NBC Montana.

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Ironically, that same day, Glacier National Park posted on Facebook this warning to hikers:

“If you’re hitting the trails, there are a few other considerations to keep in mind. If you can’t see the trail ahead of you, it’s important to make your presence known by making human sounds like shouting or clapping loudly. Additionally, hiking in a group allows bears to see, hear, and smell you better, reducing your risk of a surprise encounter. If you do happen to see a bear on the trail, ensure you maintain at least 100 yards of distance and slowly back away from it. Carrying bear spray (and knowing how to use it!) is recommended on all trails in the park. You never know when you may see a bear!”

At least they did one thing correctly: hiking in a group.

Photo of generic grizzly bear courtesy of the National Park Service.