{"id":600345,"date":"2026-04-22T21:31:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/600345\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T21:31:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:31:12","slug":"bear-charges-at-hiker-in-angeles-national-forest-caught-on-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/600345\/","title":{"rendered":"Bear charges at hiker in Angeles National Forest caught on video"},"content":{"rendered":"

A terrifying video shows a large brown bear<\/a> charging toward a Southern California hiker in\u00a0Angeles National Forest, as the man makes the unusual decision to move toward the animal.<\/p>\n

In the video, a man dressed in hiking gear and wearing a hat is seen walking toward the bear\u2014not away\u2014and shaking bells in an apparent attempt to scare it off.<\/p>\n

Instead, the agitated animal<\/a> appears to charge toward him before the video cuts off. The close, face-to-face encounter\u2014just feet apart\u2014was captured by another hiker nearby.<\/p>\n

Video shows a large brown bear charging toward a Southern California hiker. Lisa Babusis<\/p>\n

The man made the interesting choice of moving toward the beast. Lisa Babusis<\/p>\n

He is seen shaking bells in an apparent attempt to scare it off. Lisa Babusis<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking this guy is crazy, and I hope nothing happens to him,\u201d Erin Chiu, who recorded the video, told NBCLA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure what was going through his mind, to be honest, because the last thing you would expect is for someone to actually walk toward a bear. At that point, I was a little concerned for his safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chiu told the network he hikes the same trail at least three times a week for about 10 miles each time and had never seen a bear there until now.<\/p>\n

He said he and his friends hiked up the trail and hid behind bushes to let the animal pass, avoiding any confrontation.<\/p>\n

The hiker was eventually able to slowly back away as the bear moved toward him. Experts say the most important thing to remember if you encounter a bear is simple: do not run.<\/p>\n

According to the\u00a0National Park Service, running can trigger a chase response, as bears can easily outrun humans.<\/p>\n

Instead, people should remain calm, stand their ground, and speak in a low voice so the animal recognizes them as human, as most encounters end without injury when the bear does not feel threatened.<\/p>\n

Bear sightings have become increasingly common<\/a> in Los Angeles County, particularly in foothill communities like\u00a0Monrovia,\u00a0Sierra Madre,\u00a0Castaic, and\u00a0Arcadia.<\/p>\n

This encounter occurred in Arcadia, in Los Angeles County.<\/p>\n

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