COQUITLAM, British Columbia — A British Columbia man survived an encounter with a black bear in a viral video caught outside his home garage in late September.
Alex Gold suddenly encountered the bear outside the garage of his home in Coquitlam, British Columbia, on Sept. 24 while unloading groceries from his jeep. Surveillance cameras from the home caught two different angles of the encounter, and Gold kept his cool throughout the ordeal.
Video footage caught the moment Gold searched for his car keys and turned his back for a brief moment. When he turned back around, the bear charged at him. He calmly moved backward and started clapping his hands to make noise.
All things, Gold said, he recalled as tips on what to do if a bear gets too close. He kept his cool and considered what the bear thought, he told Gary Horcher with KIRO 7 News.
Gold walked to the jeep’s driver’s side and shut the tailgate. Then, he got inside and quickly realized the reason for the confrontation with the bear, he said. A second angle caught on video showed a little black cub nearby.
Gold said he didn’t realize he was standing in between a mama bear and her cub.
Experts said Gold did everything right, and acting deliberately while facing danger was “no big deal.” They also said the encounter is a textbook example of how to react calmly and ensure that you aren’t a threat.
Video credit: Alex Gold via Storyful.