One skier's casual cruise down a Colorado slope quickly went downhill when a bear emerged.

What's happening?

As reported by ABC 7 Eyewitness News, the dramatic incident unfolded on the Schoolmarm beginner trail, where resort employee Nathan Lynch and his friends raced to find a bear rumored to be nearby. 

"We found the bear while he was walking through the trees of connecting runs to get to Montezuma lift," Lynch told Storyful. "So, me and my friends went to the run that the bear was heading to next and waited for him to run out. When he did, I thankfully had my camera out."

Camera ready, he filmed the bear sprinting onto a slope right as a skier unknowingly crossed its path. Luckily, no injuries were reported, but the viral footage serves as a wake-up call to the growing overlap between wildlife and human recreation spaces.

Why are close animal encounters concerning?

While this particular story had a happy ending, increasing close encounters with wild animals point to a serious issue of shrinking wildlife habitats. 

As human populations expand into wild areas, and as Earth's overheating reduces available food and safe spaces for animals, species like black bears and coyotes are forced to wander into human territories.

These encounters aren't just scary. They can be deadly for both people and animals, often resulting in the euthanization of "nuisance" wildlife. For example, after a deadly bear attack in Romania, legislation was passed to more than double the annual bear hunting quota.

What's being done about animal encounters?

Conservation groups are working to balance human and animal life with better alternatives.

Key wildlife corridors are a great option, giving animals safe spaces to roam without crossing into human areas. There have been successful efforts, such as wildlife crossing bridges helping mountain lions in California and habitat restoration projects that allow wildlife to live with urbanization more safely.

Individuals can help too by taking actions like securing trash, respecting wildlife warnings, and supporting local conservation efforts. 

By putting wildlife conservation first, we can make sure more near-accidents do not happen.

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