As the Jungle Book song Bear Necessities goes, “forget about your worries and your strife,” can be a little bit difficult when you find yourself face to face with a real bear.
A frightening episode was caught on camera when a 7-year-old boy encountered a bear in their neighborhood.
The clip shows Huxley idling by on his scooter when a big hulking figure emerges from behind him.
The black bear approached cautiously at first, probably sizing up the figure in front of him. A second later, the bear bursts into a full sprint and barrels its way toward the boy.
Huxley stared the bear down. He didn’t budge or squirmed. This might have been the reason why the young bear stopped dead in its tracks. They only have a foot between them.
From around the corner, a neighbor hurriedly walks to the scene.
Upon seeing the bear, the neighbor stretched his arms wide open and walked carefully but stepped firmly toward the wild animal.
The bear, seeing a larger animal, backpedaled. It turns and then hides behind a parked vehicle. The neighbor, wanting to make sure that the bear doesn’t do anything dangerous, follows the animal.
The encounter turned into a game of hide-and-seek.
The neighbor continues to pressure the bear while the animal tries its best to find an escape route. After a short while, when the bear saw a window of opportunity, the animal sprinted away from the scene.
Huxley’s mom Britney was thankful no one got hurt during the short but terrifying episode. She mentions she also reminds her son regularly about these possible encounters.
She said in an interview with Inside Edition that she reiterated to Huxley the importance of being aware of his surroundings. She added that if Huxley finds himself face-to-face with a bear and there are no adults around, he should remain calm.
Huxley did exactly what he was told.
The event could’ve ended really badly if not for the boy’s presence of mind and the neighbor’s courage and quick thinking.
“I think most adults even in that moment would’ve perhaps panicked or run away,” Britney said to Inside Edition. “Not everybody knows what to do there so I’m super proud of him.”
In the end, Huxley rides off through the neighborhood, taking with him the lessons he learned in that encounter.
Bears are common in the Northern Hemisphere.
As human habitats stretch toward the wilderness, more and more animals cross their paths with ours. This encroachment can lead to dangerous encounters especially when precautions are not in place. In these situations, keeping your distance is still the best advice.
According to the National Park Service, one should also remain calm as bears, more often than not, are not really willing to attack you. Once in a standoff, avoid making sudden moves or loud noises as these can trigger aggression.
Finally, if you can, stock up on equipment to keep bears away such as better waste disposal for food and bear spray.