VIDEO: Shocking moment when wild black bear approaches terrified hikers

In this chilling video, a group of hikers in visiting Chipinque Ecological Park in northern  Mexico are approached by a black bear. The bear seems curious and stops to investigate. He sniffs at one of the hikers,  seeming intrigued by her smell. The hikers remained calm and still while friends nearby filmed the incident and told them not to move. 

The hikers nearby tried to scare the bear away and continued telling the women to stay calm and not to move. The bear rears up onto his hind legs and sniffs the woman's hair before beginning to move on. 

Suddenly, the bear returns to the woman and begins sniffing her again, at one point taking what looks like an exploratory nip at her thigh. She jerks away, visibly frightened by the bite. The bear then takes one gentle swipe at her leg before losing interest and wandering off again.

Bear sightings and encounters are common in the nearby residential areas, especially when during the dry season, when food resources are diminished, and the bears leave the mountains in search of food and water. 

Scroll down past the video for more information about the bear and the location where this happened. 

About Black Bears

The American black bear (Ursus americanus, previously known as Euarctos americanus) is a medium-sized bear native to North America and Mexico. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying, depending on season and location. 

They typically live in mostly forested areas but do leave forests in search of food. Sometimes they become attracted to human communities because of the immediate availability of food. The American black bear is the world's most common bear species.

It is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a least-concern species, due to its widespread distribution and a large population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. Along with the brown bear, it is one of only two of the eight modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction.

Chipinque Park

The Cerro de Chipinque is a mountain in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. The mountain is part of the Sierra Madre Oriental range and the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park. The mountain is surrounded by Santa Catarina valley, San Pedro valley, mount El Mirador, la Silla river, Ballesteros Canyon and La Huasteca canyon.

The summit reaches 2229 meters above sea level and the mountain is a symbol of the Monterrey metropolitan area. The Chipinque Ecological Park is on the north slope of the mountain.

Chipinque Park is home to everything from black bears to butterflies, and even some surprisingly brave squirrels. There are also several species of birds, a breed of wild cat that looks disconcertingly like a chubby house tabby (it’s actually a lynx), as well as pumas, coyotes and grey foxes.

Chipinque also has mariposario (butterfly house) to the insectario (insect house) and both are free to enter.

To learn more, visit the park's website at: https://www.chipinque.org.mx/