Yosemite National Park, California – This hiker ran at an incoming black bear while attempting to scare it from his campsite at Tuolomne Meadows in Yosemite National Park.
Despite often appearing brown or cinnamon in color, black bears are the only species of bear that lives in Yosemite National Park. The park’s 300-500 black bears are a popular sight for both visitors and managers. They vary greatly in size, with the average adult male weighing 250 pounds and the largest black bear captured in Yosemite weighing 690 pounds.
Several decades ago bears were fed for the entertainment of park visitors across Yosemite. Today park managers work to prevent the species from being negatively impacted by humans, requiring that tourists drive the speed limit and follow food storage regulations. When bears do approach campgrounds, picnic areas, or other developed areas, guests are encouraged to act immediately to scare them away. However running at the animal or approaching it in any way, as this guy does, is not recommended.
The National Park Service encourages yelling aggressively at bears intruding on developed areas or approaching people not to hurt them but to scare them away and restore their natural fear of people. Properly storing food and scaring them away helps to keep them wild and alive.