Serial bear harasser chased by huge black bear as park officials hunt him down
A man filmed harassing wild black bears several times saw the tables turn as one of the bears appeared to have had enough and charged at him.
The unidentified man has been seen in three different videos aggressively approaching bears, while someone else films him. The Darwin Award beckons.
In the video, which is filmed from inside a car, the man can be seen giving a brief smile and nod to the camera, before running up a small hill towards a black bear, growling and barking.
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Initially the bear seems uninterested but as he gets closer, the bear seems to get fed up of his shenanigans and starts lumbering down the hill towards at an impressive speed.
The man rushed back to the car - screaming: “Oh my God!” - and jump inside before slamming the door.
The clip is believed to have been filmed in Yellowstone National Park in the US, with officials from the park launching an investigation and warning the man that he could face jail time.
An Instagram account shaming ‘tourons’ - a word made up of ‘tourist’ and ‘moron’ - shared the clip, explaining that the same man had been seen in three videos.
The account shared: “This is now the THIRD video from the same touron who has been going around harassing black bears.
“Is this Yellowstone? Does anyone recognise this spot? It does look like Yellowstone.
“This behavior is unacceptable. We all know that. Even this touron knows that.
“Please do not harass the wild animals in or outside of the park. I don’t even understand wanting to harass these animals. Why?"
Park officials have not yet confirmed if the footage was actually filmed at Yellowstone, but have said they are investigating and warned that the man could face jail and a hefty fine.
Park spokesperson Linda Veress told the Cowboy State Daily: “The charge in an incident like this would be a Class B misdemeanour with up to six months in jail and $5,000 fine.
“The charge/s could include for example disturbing wildlife, disorderly conduct (create/maintain a hazardous condition), and/or approaching wildlife.”
The National Park Service recommends visitors exercise extreme caution around Yellowstone’s wildlife.
A safety notice on its site urges: “The animals in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear to be.
"The safest (and often best) view of wildlife is from inside a car. Always stay at least 100 yards (91m) away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards (23m) away from all other animals, including bison and elk.”
Claire Reid