29-year-old woman speaks out after close encounter with grizzly bear
A 29-year-old woman is opening up about surviving a close encounter with a grizzly bear while she was out walking with her dog.
Jessie Oakes and her Dutch Shepherd dog Skoki were on a morning walk in an Alberta, Canada, wilderness camp last Wednesday when they came face to face with the bear.
"I'm like, 'Oh my God, I am in the pathway of this 400-pound animal,'" Oakes told ABC News.
Oakes said she noticed the bear at a distance before it came towards her and Skoki and started to circle them. She noted that the bear appeared to take a particular interest in Skoki.
Their encounter was caught on video and shared by Wilderness Escape Adventures and Storyful.
"Initially, I didn't see any sign of aggression at all. I actually remained pretty calm," Oakes recalled. "My main concern was just keeping my dog calm as well. I didn't want him freaking out and potentially aggravating the situation."
The grizzly bear was caught on camera standing on its hind legs and appeared to charge at Skoki at times. Oakes can be heard in the video yelling and attempting to scare the bear away.
"Hey! Hey! Stop! Stop it! Go away!" Oakes yelled at the time.
"I started getting really worried, like his claws, they're massive and it just takes one swipe and then yeah, catastrophe would happen," Oakes said.
Oakes recalled that the encounter lasted for about a minute before the grizzly bear retreated, leaving her and Skoki shaken but unharmed.
"Everything just slowed down. I was thinking solely on the present. 'My life's on the line right now. What do I do to survive this situation?'" Oakes said.
Ron Magill, a conservation liaison with Zoo Miami Foundation, told ABC News that bears can feel threatened or competitive with other animals like dogs.
"Bears and wolves and coyotes, they're competitors," Magill said. "So the bear may be looking at the dog as a threat in that way. And that's what the bear seemed to be most interested in. So to her credit, she didn't turn and run. However, bear spray in that situation could have eliminated that threat very quickly."
The National Park Service recommends carrying bear spray approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in bear country and areas where the sprays are permitted.
"When a bear attacks or charges you, spray a cloud between you and the bear, and be ready to spray multiple times or empty the can," the park service says. "Point the canister at a slight downward angle and fire toward the bear. Strong winds will affect spray distance and direction. Snow, rain, and cold weather will decrease spray distance. Always be upwind if possible."
