Keep calm and carry on... taking selfies!
IT is easy enough to advise those who are approached by a bear to keep calm and wait for it to go away.
But it is much harder to remember the rules when you are the ones being sniffed at to see if you might make a tasty snack.
So it was even more amazing that one of these hikers not only kept calm, but had the nerve to take a selfie as the bear peered over her shoulder.
She and her companion were approached by a black bear on a popular trail in Chipinque Ecological Park near Monterrey, Mexico. Footage shows the young woman keeping very still as the bear stands over her to sniff her. It drops on all fours to paw her legs gently.
Her companion and a third female friend manage to remain calm as the animal lurches up again before pressing himself against the woman.
Bystanders tried to distract it, but the bear was preoccupied with sniffing the woman’s head.
Rather than panic, she quickly seized the moment, pulling out her mobile phone to take a memorable selfie of the incredible encounter. The bear stood behind her just long enough for her to take the picture before dropping to the ground.
Bored, it wandered away – and the woman and her friends quickly moved on. The Get Bear Smart Society advises: ‘Most encounters with bears rarely lead to aggressive behaviour and attacks are even rarer. Remember, most bears prefer to avoid contact with humans, and any bear you do see is probably just as frightened as you are.’
Ironically, it adds: ‘Respect its need for personal space. Do not approach it, even to get a photo.’