For anyone wondering why wildlife biologists and wardens tell you to keep your distance from bears, there’s a new video on youtube. Search for Robson Valley and Grizzly and watch the CBC video. What? Too lazy to get up? Ok, here’s what happened.

Near Dunster, a man silently crouched behind a tree, films a 500 lb. grizzly and her cub. His presence is not immediately noticed by either of the bears, however 10 seconds into the video, the bear appears to pick up his scent. She gathers her cub, starts growling and begins to charge full bore right at the man. Seconds pass and the angry bear appears to be on him. It does not appear to be a bluff charge.

A split second before the bear is on him, the man, a Dunster native, carrying a .44 magnum handgun (who knew Dirty Harry retired in the Robson Valley?), fires a shot in the air. The noise startles the bear, which then runs off into the woods. Thankfully for both parties, no blood is shed.

But this must still be noted as a near miss and an opportunity to yet again talk about the risks involved.

The filmmaker did several things that put his life - and the bear’s life - in danger. Being too close to a grizzly bear with cubs was the first risk. Being alone in grizzly country was the second. As I mentioned, there is a reason Parks Canada tells you to stay in your cars if you see a bear near the road.

Wildlife observation can be a remarkable fashion in which to feel connected to nature. But we must be aware of our effect upon the creature. In the wild, their lives are fraught with danger, as every day they search for food, avoid predators. When we get too close, we stress the animals, which in turn can result in perhaps not so unpredictable behaviour. This is not a zoo, it’s a park (another human construct and not entirely natural, but that’s a column for another day). Can the bear be blamed for attacking a perceived threat to her young? Of course not. Had she attacked the man, she likely would have been destroyed as a threat... orphaning the cub.

There is another element of the video I’ve been struggling with.

Carrying the gun appears to have saved his life, but it was the noise, not the bullet that stopped the bear. The man admits he had no time to aim and even if he hit the massive beast, it likely would have infuriated her and potentially ended both of their lives. A study by bear biologist Stephen Herraro shows bear spray is much more effective in these situations. While a bullet hits a specific target, bear spray covers a wider swath of ground and according to Herraro, has proven 88 per cent effective in bear encounter situations. It will incapacitate the bear for a period, but just enough to create a window of escape.

Two years ago, I volunteered as a wildlife ambassador in the Bow Valley. For a few hours a month, I walked the trails and shared information about local wildlife, and what to do in case of an encounter. The goal of the program was to educate visitors and local residents (often the worst offenders!!!) about wildlife conflict and how to live with bears wolves, cougars and the like. It was very similar to the wildlife guardian positions new to Jasper this year, minus the paycheque. Often we sought teaching tools to drive home why it’s important to travel in groups, make noise on the trails, keep your distance and carry bear spray. Watch the video, place yourself in the filmmaker’s shoes and think how you’d react to a similar situation.

Best to avoid that danger altogether, no?

DISCLAIMER: The Last Word is an opinion column, it is meant to provoke thought and debate. As such, any opinions written here are the writers own and do not reflect the viewpoint of any other Fitzhugh staff member or the directors of the Jasper Media Group Inc.