Pilates instructor and dog run away after bear approaches during workout video

Imagine enjoying a serene hilltop Pilates session on a sunny summer afternoon unaware that a large bear is barreling up the slope towards you.

Jessica Gilpin, a 26-year-old Pilates instructor based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, found herself in this terrifying scenario earlier this summer while babysitting a friend’s dog named Django.

He was filming a YouTube training video at the top of a mountain bike practice area in Canmore, a town on the edge of Banff National Park, when he heard some people yelling at him from an area smaller practice, he said. Newsweek.

“At first I thought maybe someone was trying to use the large area I was in,” he said. “Turns out they were warning me about the bear.”

Those at the bottom of the hill had a clear view of the bear coming up the front of the hill.

“I couldn’t hear where they were trying to tell me where the bear was coming from, just that there was a bear coming,” he said. “The hill was pretty steep” so he couldn’t see the bear “until he was literally on top of the hill with me.”

The Pilates instructor shared a video of herself from the incident, which took place in late August Tik Tok account @movemountainspilateswhich has received 5.3 million views since it was first posted on October 4.

A caption with the post reads: “Wildest experience teaching pilates ever…”

The post was shared just days after a couple and their dog were found after being mauled by a grizzly bear while hiking in a remote area of ​​Banff National Park.

What to do if you see a bear in the wild

Canada’s mountain national parks are home to grizzly and black bears. The Canadian government’s Parks Canada website says, “You can run into a bear anywhere here, whether on a busy trail near town or in the remote environment. Bears generally prefer to avoid people .

“Although the chances of having one encounter with an aggressive bear are low, proper planning before going out can help reduce the risk,” the website advises.

Make some noise so the bears know you’re there. “Shout, clap, sing or talk loudly, especially near streams, dense vegetation and berry patches, on windy days and in areas of poor visibility. Bear bells are not enough,” says Parks Canada.

Dogs must be left at home or kept on a leash at all times, as they “can”. cause defensive behavior in bears.”

When the bear is not aware of your presence

Parks Canada advises trying to quietly walk away without attracting the bear’s attention if it hasn’t noticed your presence.

When the bear is aware of your presence

Bears can “fool” themselves out of an encounter, moving forward before turning at the last second. They may also react defensively by “snarling, growling, snapping their jaws and pinning their ears back,” warns Parks Canada.

The website advises to do the following if the bear has spotted you:

• keep calm A calm demeanor can calm the bear, while yelling or sudden movements can provoke an attack.
• Talk to the bear, speaking calmly and firmly. “This lets the bear know you’re human and not a prey animal. If a bear stands up on its hind legs and wiggles its nose, it’s trying to identify you,” says Parks Canada.
• Back up slowly and never run, as running can trigger a chase.
• Make yourself look big, pick up little kids and stay in a group.
• Do not drop the backpack as it can provide protection.

When to use Bear Spray

Parks Canada says it’s a good idea to carry bear spray while traveling in mountain parks, whether you’re hiking, picnicking, camping, biking, jogging or paddling.

The website says bear spray “may reduce the risk of injury if you are in an aggressive encounter with a bear and/or other aggressive wildlife.”

However, bear spray should always be used only as a “last resort,” and you should do everything you can to avoid a bear encounter first, the site says.

“My heart was pounding”

Gilpin said that as soon as she was warned about the bear, she looked around quickly and then unhooked Django from the peg he had been leashed to.

“As soon as I untied him, the bear was up there with me about 15 feet away. It appeared to be an adult black bear, so [it was] pretty big.”

Gilpin continued: “At this point I wasn’t thinking much other than ‘Wow, I can’t believe a bear just interrupted my video, that’s crazy.’

“My heart was pounding from the shock and sudden proximity to him, but I knew all I could do was keep calm and walk away,” she said.

Leaving his belongings behind to avoid the risk of the bear approaching, Gilpin immediately took Django slowly down the hillside away from the bear, walking barefoot and “trying to stay calm so as not to scare the bear.”

“Luckily, the bear didn’t seem interested in me, so I had no reason to freak out at all.”

He said that “Django is a very well-trained and calm dog” who never barks. His master works in fishing lodges as a chef, “so Django is used to being out in the wilderness all the time and has even seen bones before, although I don’t think he’s ever been this close to one.”

Gilpin waited about 10 minutes on the gravel road on the side of the hill to give the bear “a fair amount of time” to get back down into the woods on the other side of the hill.

During that time, he said, he was still shocked by what happened and thought “I should have brought my bear spray, but because I was literally in town, I didn’t think to bring it.”

When he went back up the hill, his belongings were found intact. He assumed the bear must have gone down into the woods because “Django was sniffing his way down there.”

Although Gilpin has seen bones from afar before, the incident was one of his closest encounters.

“Living here and hiking all the time, I’ve learned to stay calm and go slowly so you don’t startle the animal,” he said. “Most of the time, black bears will leave people alone, but if they don’t, you’re supposed to get big and strong to scare it off and fight if you have to.

“Thankfully, I’ve never had to, because I don’t think my 5-foot-3-inch self would do very well fighting a bear.”

Have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured Newsweek.