California Woman Fiercely Roars, Scares Off Bear & Cubs On Sierra Madre Hike

Clear Facts

• A California woman encountered an adult brown bear and two cubs while trail running in Sierra Madre on November 8.
• Laura Gold tried various tactics to scare the bears away, including roaring and whistling, but they continued to follow her.
• Another hiker eventually came to Gold’s aid and helped scare the bears away.

A California woman had a frightening encounter with an adult brown bear and two cubs while running on a mountainous trail in Sierra Madre earlier this month. The heart-pounding footage, captured on November 8, shows Laura Gold turning a tight blind corner and coming within five inches of the mother bear.

Gold wrote on social media, “While I was trail running alone, I was about 5 inches from hitting momma bear after turning a tight blind corner.” The video shows her stopping after spotting the bears, slowly backing away, and attempting to scare them off by roaring and whistling. However, the bears continued to follow her along the trail.

“I used every trick in the book (except bear spray) and nothing worked,” Gold wrote. “Momma bear continued to move towards me until another hiker came from behind me and helped scare them away.” Gold added that the trail behind the bears splits, with both paths leading down the mountain.

Officials with California State Parks advise that when encountering a bear, one should make themselves appear as large as possible, stay calm and quiet, and slowly back away. If the bear approaches, they recommend making noise and yelling at the animal.

Sierra Madre is located in the San Gabriel Mountains near the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County.

Clear Thoughts

The recent encounter between a California woman and a bear family in Sierra Madre is a stark reminder of the importance of respecting nature. As urban sprawl continues, wild animals are increasingly finding themselves in close proximity to humans. In this case, Laura Gold’s quick thinking and the assistance of a fellow hiker helped avoid a potentially dangerous situation.

It’s crucial for outdoor enthusiasts to educate themselves on how to handle such encounters, and for authorities to ensure that adequate measures are in place to protect both humans and wildlife. Let this serve as a wake-up call to prioritize coexistence.

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