We’re not sure what to make of a recent viral video of an influencer apparently sitting in a bear’s den when the bear comes home, but it is safe to say that this stunt was not safe in the slightest. Stefan Janković boasts 1.4 million followers on YouTube and 1.1 million followers on TikTok. At face value, he appears to sit and wait in a den, and then a bear shows up and finds him in there. But is this viral video all it’s cracked up to be?
The short answer is no, it’s not. It’s staged. But Janković, who also goes by “Janko” on YouTube, lets people believe it’s real.
First, watch an influencer sit in a “bear’s den” to see what all the buzz is about. A whole lot of people on the internet are assuming this is real. Then read below for more context.
Although Janko stages this well—almost too well—he is actually interacting with rescued bears in human care. We know this because earlier today, Janko posted a video on YouTube that offers up some additional context. (Notably, he waited several days to post the YouTube video after his original video and a follow-up one went viral on other platforms.)
Some commenters also point to clues in the original viral video that suggest the interaction was staged. One person wrote: “It’s not real as in the situation is different than it appears. And it is fake. Pause when he comes out of the cave and look in the background. Another man and a fence. It’s a captive bear. It knows this person thus why [the bear] was confused not angry.”
Check out Janko’s YouTube video here, which shows him interacting with the bears and their owner:
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What do you make of this stunt? Clever? Ridiculous? Strategic? Dangerous? Weigh in below.