Hikers on Guided Tour in Yellowstone Get Surprised by Grizzly Bear Guests Passing Through
Imagine stopping for lunch while on a guided tour of Yellowstone, only to find some surprise guests nearby...a family of grizzly bears passing through! That happened recently when Wildlife Guide Bo Welden was leading hikers on a tour of the park, and he shared a video of the bears on Instagram on Monday, July 23rd.
The family - it looks like a mom and two cubs - weren't interested in the hikers but Bo said they were all still startled by the bears' appearance so close by. He said the family wasn't at all interested in the food and were just passing through. He asked what you would do if this happened, and then goes on to explain what you should do if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
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What a cool experience! Bo's main advice about what to do if you ever encounter grizzly bears is to just give them their space. He said had the bears paid them any attention they would've packed up and left. But since the bears were more than 100 yards away and just minding their own business, he felt confident it was safe to observe them. He also advised, "If these bears had continued to move closer to us or show any signs of aggression or irritation we would have gotten into the vehicle and driven away, making sure that we left no food rewards at our picnic spot for the bears to find."
Why You Should Never Approach a Grizzly Bear and Cubs
The thought of coming face to face with a grizzly bear is a scary thought, especially if it's a mama bear and cubs. Like human moms, mama bears can be very cuddly when it comes to their babies. They're also fiercely protective. They'll do anything to keep their babies safe and can immediately become aggressive anytime they feel threatened or think that their cubs are in harm's way.
Never try to run from a grizzly if one approaches you. Stand your ground and try to make yourself look bigger. Scream and be loud. The majority of the time these bears want nothing to do with humans and just want to be left alone. You're pretty much out of luck if they decide that you're a threat since they can run up to 35 miles per hour. Grizzlies will stand up to appear taller when they feel threatened, and they'll attack without a second thought if they think their cubs are in danger.
While it would be fun and quite an experience to watch them in the wild, always remember these are wild animals and apex predators. A mama bear's number one priority is to always keep their cubs safe and fed. This sounds a lot like us human moms, too!
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