A visitor has been spotted pursuing a black bear through a parking lot at Grand Teton National Park in an attempt to get a better picture. The opportunity to see a bear is one of the highlights of a visit to Grand Teton, but this has to be one of the worst ways to go about it.
The incident was spotted and captured by outdoor enthusiast Braeden Caron. The video, which you can see below, was shared on Instagram account TouronsOfYellowstone, which highlights bad behavior at US National Parks and other sites of natural beauty.
Grand Teton is home to both black bears and grizzles (both of which can be either black or brown in color). The animals can be found throughout the park and generally prefer to avoid humans, but like all wild animals they can be unpredictable and may lash out if they feel that they, their food source, or their young are threatened.
Grizzly bears grow to be considerably larger than black bears, but there are several other ways to differentiate between the two.
Grizzly bears have a distinctive shoulder hump and a 'dished' profile when their faces are viewed from the side. Black bears lack the hump, and have a more straight profile from the top of their head to the end of their snout. Grizzlies' ears are rounded, while those of black bears are taller and more pointed. Grizzly bears' front claws are longer and less curved than those of black bears.
The National Park Service (NPS) asks visitors to Grand Teton to report bear sightings to a visitor center or ranger station, and warns to never intentionally get close to a bear. They will generally retreat if they see or hear you coming, but the nature of some trails may mean you come across one unexpectedly while hiking in bear country.
For more information on how to handle a close encounter, check out the the NPS guide to recreating in bear country, and our feature what to do if you meet a bear.
