While many media organizations are reporting that the bears simply appeared and began chasing the tourists, the full story, as told by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials, is different.
“Reportedly, the tourists had gotten too close to a black bear sow and her cubs and that's when the animals got agitated,” noted the AOL news service.
The video, which was provided by Montana FWP and we’ve posted below, shows the mother bear and her cubs wandering on the bridge, apparently just as confused and worried as the human tourists. It’s not at all surprising – wouldn’t you (or your mother) respond the same way, if a bunch of smelly tall things approached your children?
Learn what to do in a black bear encounter at BearWithUs.org
Part of loving wildlife is respecting them enough to let them be wild. And that means not feeding them, not trying to anthropomorphize them, and giving them their space. They’ve learned to live with us – we can learn to live with them.
Photo by Kerri Martin Photography
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