A group of hikers on a guided tour in Alaska, including wildlife photographer Christopher Ang, came across several young brown bears scratching themselves against trees. When the bears turn their attention to the humans, the group leader responds appropriately, and everyone goes on their merry way.
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Ang posted the video to Instagram in October, and it went viral. Perhaps the wildest part of the video is how giddy the group seems to be about the bears approaching them. As the group leader stands in front with bear spray in hand, firming and loudly saying “no!” as the bears approach, group members giggle and whisper about how cute the bears are.
The young grizzlies are indeed very cute, but they’re also capable of some serious damage. Thankfully, the bears were only curious. They ultimately leave the hikers alone. In his Instagram post, Ang takes the opportunity to educate his followers about threats to brown-bear habitats in Alaska.
See some young bears in an Alaska forest show off to and then face off with some hikers here: