This Hunter’s Footage of a Stalking Grizzly Bear Is Scarier Than Anything You’ll See From Hollywood

Continue reading for our analysis...

It’s hard to work out exactly who is most stressed in this clip. The grizzly bear is agitated and perceives both the human and the dog as a threat. You can hear the dog barking indicating that it is distressed by the presence of a large and menacing creature. It’s clear from the human’s rapid breathing that they are also feeling very worried by the presence of such a large animal! However, as the clip at the bottom of this page shows, it is possible to walk away from an encounter with a grizzly bear without anyone getting hurt.

Do Grizzly Bears Attack Dogs?

The attention of the grizzly bear in this clip may have been alerted by the dog or by the human. Sometimes grizzly bears will simply ignore dogs but at other times they perceive them as a threat and will try to attack them. Problems can occur when a dog is barking aggressively at a grizzly – some bears have been known to chase and kill dogs. If the dog runs away, this triggers the hunting instinct of the bear who will often try to follow it. The problem is that dogs often run towards their owners which puts the human at risk.

Research conducted into black bear attacks by scientists at the University of Calgary has shown that over half of the attacks involved a dog! For this reason, it may be advisable to keep your dog on a leash when in bear habitats. A leashed and well-trained dog is a deterrent against bear attacks. An unleashed dog that is leaping around and barking is the exact opposite!

How Often Do Grizzlies Attack Humans?

Not all bear attacks on humans are recorded but there are roughly 44 grizzly bear attacks worldwide each year. That makes them a very rare occurrence and fatal attacks are even less common. Nevertheless, it is a very scary experience when a grizzly bear targets you as in the incident featured in this clip.

Attacks are most likely when you are hiking, foraging, and camping. There is usually a reason behind the attack and often it is connected with a female grizzly protecting her cubs.

Interestingly, we see the grizzly making some mock charges. This is when the bear accelerates towards you but pulls up or veers away at the last moment. It is a warning behavior and indicates that the bear is not happy about your presence!