Mexico City: A group of hikers kept their cool and even managed to snap a selfie when a curious black bear approached them along a hiking trail in Chipinque Ecological Park in Mexico.
The video shows a woman standing very still as a black bear approaches her, sniffs her and then stands on his hind legs.
Two other female hikers who accompanied her too managed to remain calm as they watch the bear inspect their friend. The bear briefly drops onto the ground, but suddenly lurches back onto its hind legs again and caress the woman’s hair.
Bystanders try to distract the black bear, but it is preoccupied with sniffing the woman’s hair. The woman then quickly seizes the unbelievable moment and pulls out her cell phone to take a selfie.
As if on cue, the bear stands just long enough for the picture before dropping back on all fours and lightly swatting at the woman’s legs twice.
The black bear then begins to wander away, while the woman and her friends speed out of the area.
The shocking moment was shared to social media, where it amassed more than two million views since Saturday.
Former NBA player Rex Chapman shared the video on his page and wrote: ‘Oh. my. goodness. She’s a rock. I want this girl in my foxhole…’
Journalist Yashar Ali praised the group for handling the situation with ease.
‘We don’t see the lead up, but they handle themselves well. If a black bear is this close to you, it’s too late to scare them off unless they’re attacking you, then you should fight back,’ Ali wrote.
‘Otherwise, stay calm..don’t run. Don’t do that with a grizzly if they attack you…play dead.’
Last December, two black bear terrified a visitor in the park while sniffing around garbage cans for food.