A grizzly bear leapt into a river and charged after a passing whitewater kayaker in British Columbia, as other paddlers behind him captured the unheard-of encounter on video, then headed in the other direction.
The video shot last weekend on the Elaho River near Squamish was shared on Facebook on Monday and has generated more than 46,000 views, according to USA Today Sports website BNQT.
"Oh, grizzly bear. Baby grizzly bear," some could be heard yelling on the video when the bear first started swimming out toward the kayaker, BNQT said, but that initial excitement turned into concern when they realized the bear was chasing the kayaker and then their own leader ordered the group to back paddle away.
When the unidentified kayaker realized the bear was coming, he furiously paddled away until the bear veered off, BNQT said.
"I've never seen a kayaker being charged like this," said Sgt. Simon Gravel, with the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service, according to the Global News. "We do have some cases where a black bear or a grizzly bear will bluff charge. In most cases, it's a defensive behavior. They're just trying to communicate that you're not welcome in the area."
Corey Boux, a tour guide from Wedge Rafting at Tag Whistle, said in a social media post that when the bear chased after the kayaker it appeared the animal was protecting a meal, which appeared to be a dead elk, according to the website The Province.
"I've spent a (expletive) ton of time around grizzlies," Boux said. "They are pretty unpredictable, especially if guarding a food source."
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