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Jogger Tells Grand Teton National Park Black Bear "I'm Not Your Food."

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Published Date

April 21, 2021

Evan Matthews slowly talked to this bear while he retreated to his car/Evan Matthews

A jogger out for a run in Grand Teton National Park last week resorted to an unusual defense when he encountered a black bear, telling the bear that "I'm not your food."

Evan Matthews took the unorthodox approach when the bear -- a cinnamon-hued black bear -- spotted him from a distance and came out of the woods and began to slowly follow him down a road. 

"Hey," Matthews shouted to the bear. "Stay back. Hey! No! Stay back. No!"

The jogger, who captured the encounter with his cell phone, slowly retreated while addressing the bear, which didn't charge him but simply plodded in his direction. While Matthews had a canister of bear spray with him, he didn't want to use it. He also didn't want to "play dead," which experts say is perhaps the best defense to discourge a bear attack.

Talking to the bear, he figured, would convince it that he wasn't prey.

"No! You back up. You stay there. Good bear," Matthews continued. "Alright. Hey, no! I don't care if you're hungry. I'm not your food. Sure, we could take a walk if you want. You don't get any closer though."

After following Matthews for not quite a half-mile, the bruin turned and headed back into the forest.

"That's the first time I was kind of run up on by a bear," Matthews said in his video. "That was exciting. I've seen plenty of them out in the wild before, but never had any come at me like that."

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Comments

Submitted by Rick B. on April 21, 2021 - 6:10pm.

Gotta admit I admire his gift of gab.


Submitted by Reed on May 25, 2021 - 3:37pm.

I thought playing dead with black bear was suicide u have to fight back grizzly play dead


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