The most popular Canadian National Park is home to bright blue lakes, next-level snow sports, and iconic Rocky Mountain views. It attracts over 4 million visitors each year, but it’s also a hotspot of activity for wildlife encounters like the one making headlines lately.
Isaac Shah was hiking in Banff National Park on May 9 when he suddenly crossed paths with a massive grizzly bear. He quickly grabbed his bear spray and phone, which recorded the tense encounter, then posted the video on TikTok, where it went viral just as suddenly.
It’s hard to believe he lived out every hiker’s worst nightmare, but Isaac was fortunate to be prepared for exactly this kind of situation.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
That’s terrifying! Not only is this a huge bear to come face to face with, but it’s also a brown bear, or specifically, a grizzly. These bears are notorious for being fierce and unrelenting predators, but this specific bear was more interested in water than food.
Isaac explained that the bear followed him for around 5 minutes until they broke from the path to get to a stream. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), the hiker was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The bear wasn’t really interested in him at all.
However, this could have quickly changed if Isaac were unprepared for a bear encounter. This is essential preparation for hiking (or simply living) in bear country, and it includes both knowledge and shopping. Don’t forget to pack your bear spray!
While hiking, make plenty of noise and bring a buddy to alert nearby bears to your presence. Odds are, they’ll head the other direction.