A grainy viral clip has turned a routine stroll into every hiker’s worst nightmare, showing a grizzly bear repeatedly circling, lunging toward and then chasing a woman and her leashed dog along a gravel access road in Kananaskis Country. The woman keeps talking loudly, backs away at a steady pace and uses noise to stay on the bear’s radar while others off camera work to distract the animal. In the end, both she and the dog walk away with no reported injuries, although the video has pulled in millions of views and pushed provincial park officials to issue fresh warnings for nearby trails and campgrounds.
Seattle television station KIRO 7 ran the footage under an Alaska headline. Canadian coverage and provincial briefings say that is off by a border, with Global News pointing to Alberta’s Kananaskis Country and identifying the area near Mount Engadine Lodge as the scene. An advisory from Alberta Parks followed with a Bear Warning for Mount Shark Road and the Rummel Lake Trail linked directly to the encounter.
Photographers and guides who viewed the clip say it came out of a Wilderness Escape Adventures trip before spreading quickly through Instagram and other outdoor-focused feeds. PetaPixel and other outlets note that the original poster urged viewers to carry bear spray, and the footage itself shows why: the grizzly locks onto the dog, makes repeated approaches and appears to close to within roughly a metre of the pair before finally turning away and slipping back into the trees.
Alberta Parks issues warning
In its online advisory, Alberta Parks reports that the bear displayed “persistent, dog-focused behaviour” and kept returning, several times getting to about one metre from people. In response, the agency temporarily shut the Tryst Lake parking area and told visitors to steer clear of the Mount Shark Road and Mount Engadine Lodge area while staff monitor the situation. Full details are posted in the advisory on the Alberta Parks website.
Bear-safety reminders
Wildlife agencies and park officials are using the viral moment as a refresher course on basics they repeat every year: keep bear spray somewhere you can reach in seconds and know how to use it, leash dogs, travel in groups and make plenty of noise in dense forest or low-visibility terrain. Parks Canada’s bear-country guidance echoes those points and adds that people should back away slowly, avoid running and report any concerning wildlife behaviour to park dispatchers as soon as it is safe.
The clip is a sharp reminder that even a short walk can get serious fast in bear territory. Anyone heading for Kananaskis, Banff or Jasper is being urged to check current advisories and pack appropriate safety gear before setting out.
