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A wild video in which a guy casually escorted a black bear off a residential property during an outdoor gathering has gone viral.
In a clip shared by the Barstool Philly Instagram page, a man wearing a t-shirt and shorts ushered a black bear away from what appeared to be a lakeside get-together.
The nail-biting tension was palpable.
The dude, apparently named Mike, steered the bear in the direction of a fence with a gate, which he opened for the wayward, medium-sized omnivore.
The stubborn animal was clearly not ready to leave the party and showed its reluctance by taking a swipe at Mike's torso.
Fortunately, the swipe seemed to be more an act of protest than of real aggression.
Mike, however, firmly stood his ground, yelling, "No!" and then aggressively pointed to the road.
Eventually, the unwelcome bear walked through the open gate and continued on toward some garbage bins that were placed in front of a neighboring home.
You can watch the clip, here.
The clip ended with Mike lifting his shirt to reveal the claw marks on his body. With his guts still encased, Mike flashed a grin, showing he was apparently not shaken by the encounter but relishing his victory.
The animal sighting was not unusual, as black bears are known to explore human communities in search of easily available food.
So it wasn't surprising that viewers weren't surprised as much by the encounter as they were dumbfounded by the way Mike showed the animal who was boss, even after the scratch to his side.
@barstoolphilly/Instagram
@barstoolphilly/Instagram
@barstoolphilly/Instagram
@barstoolphilly/Instagram
@barstoolphilly/Instagram
@barstoolphilly/Instagram
@barstoolphilly/Instagram
@barstoolphilly/Instagram
The incident seemed to have taken place in Pennsylvania, as the post's caption reads, "Meanwhile in the Poconos...", which is a heavily forested region in the state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission noted that "bears and people are coming into contact more than ever" and that these encounters occur when "there is easy-to-obtain food where people live."
They suggest two options when spotting a black bear on a homeowner's property.
"The first is to make loud noises or shout at the bear from a distance – like you'd react to a dog getting into your trash."
"The second option is to leave the bear alone, and clean up the bear's mess after it leaves."
In bear encounters, the organization said that people should "alert the bear," "get back," "stay calm," and "pay attention."
While black bear attacks are extremely rare, they suggested that if a black bear does attack, you should fight back. Black bears have been known to be driven away by physical retaliation using rocks, sticks, or even bare hands.
Mike may have succeeded in avoiding catastrophe based on his handling of the situation, but others might not be so lucky.
Don't be like Mike.