ALBERTA, CANADA, June 27 (Billings News Online) — A viral video from Alberta’s Kananaskis Country is drawing attention to bear-safety rules for hikers after a woman walking a dog was followed and repeatedly charged by a grizzly bear near Mount Engadine Lodge.
The footage shows the woman backing away slowly and speaking to the bear as it circles and advances toward her. She does not run.
The National Park Service says people should not run from a bear because that can trigger a predatory reaction. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee says responses should depend on the animal’s behavior and advises backing away slowly from a bear that is not engaged, standing ground during a bluff charge, and carrying bear spray when appropriate.
Alberta Forestry and Parks identified the encounter as happening near Mount Engadine Lodge on Rummel Lake Trail in Spray Lakes Provincial Park, a backcountry area that draws hikers and other visitors into grizzly country.
