Maybe we should revise the expression "don't poke the bear" to "don't feed the bear."
A video taken by Instagram user CM Cătălin (@cemecatalin12) and reshared by TouronsOfNationalParks (@touronsofnationalparks) showed one driver nearly losing a limb in a frightening interaction.
The footage begins with a bear positioned right next to a car with an open window as a bear cub sits a couple of feet away. There are a few stopped cars and some other onlookers watching nearby.
In a risky move, the driver extends their arms with what appears to be a hot dog. The bear reacts viciously by not just catching it in its teeth-baring mouth but using its paws to lunge at the motorist. Some frantic hand-fighting ensues inside and outside the vehicle.
Fortunately, the bear is alarmed when the driver starts their car and jumps away. The nearby visitors take the hint and move further away from the bear, and it seems cooler heads prevail. On-screen text reveals the video was taken in Transfăgărășan, Romania, which is moving bears to a sanctuary due to these problematic interactions.
The saga revealed the perils of feeding animals like bears. While you might get the wrong idea from Winnie the Pooh, bears are dangerous to humans and not to be trifled with. In Romania, a bear attack in the summer of 2024, in fact, caused the government to overturn a moratorium on bear hunting. A similar incident there occurred when a man fed a bear in a Romanian forest, and the bear lunged at him.
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The interactions are also terrible for the bears, which can grow used to being fed by humans. That food conditioning can make them more aggressive and likely to be euthanized, which is how it's played out for bears in Canada and in Colorado. The easy advice for handling bears is to keep your distance and let the wild animals be wild. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has a helpful guide to bear safety.
Commenters on Instagram were alarmed by the driver's behavior.
"Surprised the driver didn't lose their arm," a user wrote.
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Absolutely 👏 "What is wrong with people?" a user asked. "It's a bear, don't feed it, stay away from it."
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"Thinking a wild bear knows/cares where the hotdog ends and your hand begins like it's the domesticated labradoodle you have at home," another viewer remarked.
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