Hasn't everyone heard the phrase "don't poke the bear"?
One video posted on Instagram via Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalparks) shows recent footage of tourists putting themselves and wildlife in danger for the sake of a close-up photo.
The clip shows a wild black bear calmly eating along the shoreline in Campbell River, British Columbia, while several people stand just feet away.
One person is seen leaning in with a camera almost directly in the bear's face as it eats, a moment that viewers have described as reckless and unsettling.
In the caption, the account warned viewers, "You should never get that close to a bear … Especially when the bear is eating a meal!"
It went on to note that bears can become defensive or aggressive when they perceive competition for food, urging people to "be smart, use common sense, and learn basic wildlife viewing etiquette."
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According to the North American Bear Center, truly offensive attacks by black bears are very rare and are usually unprovoked predatory encounters in remote areas. Across North America, the continent's roughly 750,000 black bears kill less than one person per year on average, making them far less dangerous than many people assume.
But that context doesn't make close encounters harmless. When humans crowd, feed, or provoke bears, they increase the risk of conflict. And when a bear injures a person, (even if the encounter was clearly provoked), the animal is often euthanized.
This reality is what fueled backlash in the comment section:
"I hate that. How can people be so ignorant and disrespectful. They should be arrested and jailed," one viewer wrote.
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$200 or more 💰 Another commenter focused on the consequences for the animal: "While I too am cheering for the bear, the problem is that the bear may pay the ultimate price for protecting its food…"
As outdoor tourism continues to grow, keeping a safe distance is the only way to protect animals from outcomes they don't choose.
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