What would you do if a quarter-tonne bear came charging towards you? Run away as fast as you can, or stay where you are and cross your fingers?
If you chose immobility, congratulations! You have what it takes to survive the wilds of Alaska. Just ask the tourists whose video of an unpleasantly close encounter with a grizzly in Katmai National Park in 2010 has gone viral this week. Larry Griffith and his friends were supposed to be watching bears from a safe distance when suddenly one of the beasts came racing over to see what they were up to. "I could hear and smell his breath and see bits of fish on his teeth," said Griffith. The bear circled the group several times, near enough to sniff their clothes, before returning to its salmon-fishing.
Throughout, the tourists stayed in their camping chairs. Were they paralysed by fear? Not entirely, though Griffith admits he has had nightmares since. In fact, they were following their guide's advice to ignore a "bluff charge" that was unlikely to end in violence. If they had run away, this would have encouraged the bear to see them as prey. And, unlike even the most highly motivated human, a hungry grizzly can reach a speed of 30 miles an hour. Anyway, what do you think the bear might be saying?
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