Terrified hikers face nightmare survival scenario after heart-pounding grizzly bear encounter
Alaska trekking turned into fun scary survival test After three hikers had a heart-pounding encounter with a grizzly bear.
When the hikers turned a corner, they found themselves face to face with the bear nicknamed “Scuba Sue” hunting for salmon along a narrow trail at the Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory. southeast alaska.
Speaking on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” the trio described how they relied on important park ranger safety protocols to stay calm after finding themselves stranded on the road.
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A grizzly bear stands in the grass at Lake Clark National Park in Alaska.
“We actually watching bearsI was hoping for salmon to come upriver. We saw 4-5 bears before. These were black bears. Then when we got back on the road we had an unexpected encounter,” said Dr. Michelle Lynn Thaller. “Right around the corner came this grizzly bear.”
In the video, the bear can be seen getting close to the hikers. The group had to talk to the bear as they slowly backed away to give the bear room along the road.
“Ah, [I] He was absolutely horrified. And then we remembered what the rangers told us, and that’s what you said: Be big, talk to the bear, keep it calm and get out of its way,” hiker Tanya Thompson said.
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“There was no place where we encountered the bear to get off the road. So we had to back up a little bit so he could run forward.”
A grizzly bear walks on the tundra beneath a section of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System near the Dalton Highway in Alaska’s North Slope County on May 9, 2025.
Hiker Tony Cutraro said the group was briefed by park rangers before the hike, but they knew they were already there. deep bear country and he had seen evidence of them on the road.
After a few tense moments, the bear continued on its way past the group. This year’s delayed salmon run has starved local wildlife and increased the risk of encounters, Thaller said.
“That was actually something that made me a little nervous because these bears are here to hunt for salmon. The salmon are going to run up the river and spawn and the salmon haven’t escaped yet,” Thaller said.
“We’ve seen salmon in previous years. They were eating salmon. The salmon came a little late this year. And these bears are hungry. They’re waiting for the salmon to arrive.”
Feeding bears or leaving food out can cause them to associate humans with food, increasing the risk of dangerous encounters.
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National Park Service There are a few tips for hikers in these situations. He advises hikers to introduce themselves by calmly talking to the bear so he knows they are people and not prey. They also recommend staying still and avoiding running away.
Original article source: Terrified hikers face nightmarish survival scenario after encounter with heart-pounding grizzly bear
