This is an insane video! A 12-year-old boy in Italy is as cool as a cucumber while a big brown bear follows him. There’s a lot of conjecture about whether this video is legit or not. The story goes that the boy was hiking with his family when they stumbled upon the bear. Word is the fam had just watched a video on bear safety so the kid was calm. Lots of people wondering why they would record in that situation. Apparently the kid asked the family to take a video.
In the Dolomites, Italy,- a 12 year boy is suddenly followed by a brown bear.
Video by Giuliana Molinari on FB. pic.twitter.com/9t5G7bgH2j
— ʟᴏɴɢʟᴏꜱᴛʟᴇꜰᴛ⏳ (@LongLostLeft) May 26, 2020
Whether this vid is legit or not, bear safety is definitely something to think about at this time of year. I took a drive with my son the other day and we ended up spontaneously going on a little hike. It wasn’t until we were a few minutes in until I thought about bear safety. The little guy looked at me like I was crazy when I started yelling out “Day-O!!!” every so often like I had learned from a bear safety tape years ago, but soon he was doing it with me!
I’ve had a couple encounters with bears over the years. One was right out my back door! I lived in Northwood and my friends were waiting in my driveway to pick me up at night. They had been waiting for a while so I was rushing out. I locked the door and turned around and there was a black bear RIGHT THERE! I scrambled to open the door again, while the bear turned and went down the path around the side of the house. I sprinted through the house to the front door, scared my buddies would go down the path the bear was going down because I was taking so long. Thankfully, they were still in the car. Their jaws were on the floor when the bear strolled by them. I called the cops and then we followed it down the street in the car in case we had to warn anybody. Quite the experience but it was nice to know that the bear was a lot less interested in us than we were in it.
The provincial government’s website has a great guide for what to do if you encounter a bear in these parts. Check out some of the tips below. For even more, click HERE.
Make noise as you move through wooded areas, especially in areas where background noise is high, such as near streams and waterfalls. Singing, whistling or talking will alert bears to your presence, giving them a chance to avoid you.
Travel with others if possible.
Be aware of your surroundings:(Do not wear headphones … Keep an eye out for signs of bears, such as tracks, claw marks on trees, flipped-over rocks or fresh bear droppings.)
Consider bringing a whistle, air horn, long-handled axe or bear spray. If you bring bear spray, know how to use it.
Avoid strong fragrances that may cause a bear to be curious; put any food you are carrying in sealed containers in your pack.
If you are out with a dog, control it. Uncontrolled, untrained dogs may actually lead a bear to you.
While berry picking, occasionally scan your surroundings to check for bears, and rise slowly from your crouched position so you don’t startle any nearby bears. They may not recognize you as a human when you are in a crouched position.
