A man reading a book got unexpected company when a wild black bear walked right up to him in Colorado.
Andy Barrow was visiting Aspen from New York for a literary festival and work with a local school. He was sitting peacefully in a gondola plaza reading ‘Fruitfly’ by Josh Silver when he heard rumors of a bear nearby. Before he could react, the animal walked right toward him.
Bears in Colorado are currently in hyperphagia which is a phase where they bulk up for winter. A recent drought ruined their natural food sources so more than 11000 human bear encounters have happened across the state this year as animals search for food in towns.
Since Andy was from the city he did not know much about bear safety. “I was thinking of, like, the T-Rex in Jurassic Park,” Andy recalled. As the bear got closer he decided his best move was to stay frozen. “By the time I was thinking that, the bear was already pretty close, so I said, ‘I guess I will stay as still as possible and just look at the book,’ and the bear came over, gave me a sniff, and moved on.” Watching the video of the bear just three feet away made my own heart skip a beat!
Andy admitted he felt calm during the moment but got very anxious later when local resident Karen Preiss and others showed him their recorded videos.
What to Do During a Black Bear Encounter
Locals later explained that people should make themselves look big or leave early when a black bear comes near.
We should never run because that can trigger their natural chase instinct and we shouldn’t make direct eye contact either. Instead wildlife experts say to stand tall and raise your arms or hold a jacket up to make yourself look as large as possible. You should speak in a firm calm voice so the bear knows you are human and slowly back away.
If a black bear ever does attack, you should fight back with everything you have rather than play dead.
Even after such a close call Andy still considers his frequent visits to Colorado a real blessing and his love for the state has not changed at all.
WATCH: Wild Bear Sniffs Man Reading a Book in Shocking Close Encounter
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