Hikers may stick to paths but bears, cougars, bison and elks rarely do. They’re annoying like that. So while you may be diligently following all the advice for being on the look-out for dangerous wildlife, you may simply be in exactly the wrong place to spot it.
Because while taking in magnificent views is one of the pleasures of going for a hike, sometimes you don’t get the complete picture. But somebody else in another spot with a different angle on the situation might be able to see something you haven’t.
So if someone in the distance is shouting and waving their arms at you – like in this video posted by TikTok user @thebeautyandbeast13 (and shared by Wander Wisdom) – it’s probably best to work out what’s getting them agitated. In this case, the hikers are unknowingly on an intercept course with a bear in Glacier National Park, Montana.
@thebeautyandbeast13 ♬ original sound - Beauty and Beast
“The hikers had no idea they were walking right towards a bear,” posts @thebeautyandbeast13. From a vantage point in a car on a road across from the action, @thebeautyandbeast13 could see the bear beyond some trees that were blocking it from the sight of the hikers.
“Everyone in their cars was trying to warn them!” says @thebeautyandbeast13. “We were panicking!”
It’s not clear if the hikers ever quite got the message that there was a bear ahead from the people on the road shouting, but they do clearly become aware of the beast eventually… when it makes an appearance ahead of them.
One of the hikers nearly falls over as he makes a run for it… which, incidentally, is not the advice experts give for when you encounter a bear – you should back away slowly, avoid eye contact and make a lot of noise.
It's widely reported that bear encounters are on the rise, with the animals following hikers, trashing campsites, and breaking into tents so it’s important to know what to do if you meet one.
