Encountering a bear in the wilderness is one thing, but seeing people flee from one in a crowded parking lot is not something you witness every day.
The incident took place in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where panicked people were seen running through a parking lot. Moments later, a bear emerged and walked in the same direction.
It did not appear to be chasing anyone, but the crowd’s frightened reaction was understandable. Most people would instinctively run if they found themselves that close to a wild bear.
The video has since gone viral, capturing the bear calmly strolling through the parking lot and passing dangerously close to a man who appeared determined to keep filming with his phone.
Brave Man Gets Too Close to the Bear to Record It
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CBS News shared footage of the bear passing through the parking lot on Instagram. It shows a group of people running in the same direction, suggesting some kind of threat.
Seconds later, a bear emerges from behind a car and walks a short distance. That was when a man standing next to a white van began filming it.
Despite the bear getting closer, the man continued to record. The bear then brushed past the same van from the other side and continued walking. At one point, only a few feet separated the man and the bear.
The bear then continued walking calmly after the area around it had cleared. The incident occurred on July 18. According to Storyful, the dramatic scene was captured by Lara Bynum, who was about to go to bed when she heard people screaming. She then stepped onto her balcony and recorded the incident.
“I was very nervous for all of the people running through the parking lot. Especially the guy in the orange outfit because he was not getting in the van with the rest of his group. He kept trying to take a picture of the bear up close.”
She said that the bear eventually crossed the street and drank water from a nearby river.
“That Bear Isn’t Chasing Anyone”
The video caption describes the bear as chasing several people through the parking lot, but many Instagram users disputed that claim. One user wrote, “That bear isn’t chasing anyone,” while another user commented, “That bear is just walking through the lot!”
Another user wrote, “I didn’t see the bear chase not one person,” while another user argued that habitat loss sometimes leads bears to enter town simply because they are trying to get from one place to another. They wrote:
“That bear didn’t chase a single person. Its almost like we tore down animals habitats and sometimes they’re just trying to get from once place to another”
A user who claimed to be a local wrote that black bears don’t chase humans, and called out the media outlet for making it a clickbait post:
“Hi, Tennessee native here. Black bears don’t chase humans, even uneducated tourists who act absolutely ridiculous 🙄 These people scared the poor bear and within the chaos it was looking for a place to flee. Way to bait people CBS. If you are going to visit our beautiful state, please remember the area belongs to the bears and you should respect them and their space. Period.”