A woman from Colorado is speaking out following a frightening encounter with a black bear in Whistler.
Sherry Moore told ABC's Denver 7 News she was taking a photo during her run when the incident occurred.
"I literally took this dumb selfie of myself because I saw these boulders and thought of being at home … and then right as I take the picture, this bear jumps down onto the trail," she said.
Moore posted an 11-second video of the encounter on YouTube. The clip shows the animal walking along the trail towards her. A few seconds in, it appears to be going back into the woods, but suddenly starts running towards Moore instead.
"And all of a sudden it turned and charged me and I literally thought for that moment I was going to be mauled," Moore said. "I thought, 'This is it, it's done.'"
Moore said she stood tall and kept yelling until the bear backed down. That part of the encounter wasn't caught on camera.
"I just stopped and it got up on its two feet and right in front of me and I just stared at and started screaming at it like a dog," she said.
Moore appears to have taken the right steps to protect herself.
In case of a black bear encounter, the Government of British Columbia's website recommends staying calm, avoiding direct eye contact and slowly backing away to safety.
If the bear charges, you should fight back by trying to look as large as possible, waving your arms and yelling and making loud noises in any way you can, the website said.
That information only applies to black bear encounters, however.
In case of a grizzly bear attack, the best course of action is to quickly climb a tree over four metres if possible. If that isn't possible, lie in the fetal position with your hands behind your neck and your head between your knees to protect your vital organs.
With files from ABC's Denver 7 News
