Two sizable grizzly bears trailed a group of hikers in Banff National Park, persistently pursuing a group of 13 hikers along the trail. At one point, one of the bears even advanced toward the hikers to observe their response. According to experts, bears may run toward humans to gauge their reactions. Nevertheless, the most advisable course of action when confronted by a charging bear is to remain composed.

Fortunately, some group members had training on how to deal with bear encounters, and somehow, the group was able to depart without any significant incidents.

The Grizzlies Followed Them for 20 Minutes

In an interview with cbc.ca, Phoebe Nicholson shared her share of experience of the entire incident. Nicholson is originally from Australia. She works as a hiking guide with Discover Banff Tours. According to her, she had never had any such interaction with grizzly bears before.

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“It’s not every day that you think you’re actually going to be that close to two grizzly bears,” said Phoebe Nicholson

“A pretty intense, but also pretty amazing experience, to see animals like that in the wild, just in their natural habitat, going for a walk with us.”

The whole group maintained their composure and did not panic. However, the Grizzlies stayed just 10-20 meters behind the group. Nicholson advised the group not to make any noise or run. The hike started near Moraine Lake, near Lake House. However, after a while, the group heard some rustling noise near the bushes. The group alerted Nicholson about the movement. She then realized it was a cub along with her mother.

“We have had a lot of training, and I talk about [bears] on all of my tours as well,” she said, admitting she was nervous. “Knowledge-wise, I knew exactly what I should be doing, but it is different putting it into action.” “From my training, I know that that is a normal thing. The best thing to do is, of course, to stay calm and keep a slow, slow pace, so that’s exactly what we did.”

‘Stop, Talk, Walk’ the Best Way to Stay Safe

According to experts, the best way to stay safe in these situations is to apply the ‘Stop, Talk, Walk’ method. Grizzly bears also use the trails for their movements, as it is easy. So in these situations, the best practice is to walk and never run.

However, facing up against a grizzly bear is really scary and intimidating. It’s important to keep a calm head in these situations and not panic.

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