Viral Video: Terrified Hiker Comes Across Grizzly Bear in Glacier

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It was an eventful summer for one hiker who encountered a grizzly bear in Glacier National Park. Amanda Wylie is a thru-hiker who was solo hiking in the Montana backcountry when she started seeing signs that a bear was near. Then, it happened. A grizzly bear was tracking her, and she was alone with it and her can of bear spray.

What happens next is intense, but, thankfully, Wylie walked away unscathed. In the video, Wylie is talking calmly (but she is clearly terrified) as she positions herself low and tries to back away slowly from the bear. She says she had just watched a safety video with instructions for what to do in the exact situation she suddenly found herself in.

She shared the video she took on social media, along with her story:

“I look to my right to find a grizzly 2x my size on his hind legs, paws up. Terrified, I reminded myself not to run and said aloud ‘oh my god, it’s happening.’ The safety video I watched before getting my backcountry permit immediately played in my mind. I took out my bear spray, got low and backed away slowly from the bear. I talked to him nice and once I felt a safe enough distance away, I got my phone out to record wondering if these would be my last moments. Any sudden or unexpected behaviors by me could have turned this curious grizzly into a defensive one. He followed me down the trail, off the trail and eventually shook his body, which let me know I could relax a little. Once he turned away I rejoiced, knowing I would live to see another day and have an amazing encounter story to share.”

Watch a hiker’s grizzly bear encounter in Glacier here (warning: explicit language):