A group of hikers in Glacier National Park got more than they bargained for when they encountered a grizzly bear on a trail. The video, posted by TikTok creator @hikewjesus, captures the moment the animal appeared shortly after the group expressed a wish to see wildlife. The footage shows the bear walking along the trail, crossing a ridge, and then pausing to scratch its back against a small tree.
The video opens with the hikers on a mountain path. On-screen text reads, “Why haven’t we seen any wildlife yet?” A woman in the group can be heard saying, “Come on, where you at?” Moments later, the scene changes. The same woman is seen pointing upward as she urgently says, “Bear, bear, bear.” On-screen text notes, “Seconds later I walked up on a grizzly.”
The person filming responds with a calm, “Hey there!” The camera then shows a grizzly bear walking ahead of the group on the trail. Text on the screen explains, “He followed us on the trail.”
Bear crosses ridge and stops to scratch against a tree
The video shows the bear continuing its journey. It crosses a rocky ridge and passes the hikers. Text appears stating, “Then he crossed the ridge and passed us.” The bear then walks away from the camera, and the group names it. On-screen text reads, “We named him Big Cheeks.”
As the bear moves, the person filming comments on its gait, saying, “Look at that jiggle! Look at that jig!” The bear eventually stops, sits down, and rolls onto its back. It begins scratching itself vigorously against a small tree. Text on the screen says, “& then he did this” followed by a pleading face emoji.
The hikers react with excitement. One voice exclaims, “Oh my gosh, look at his paws!” Another woman says, “Hi bear! Hello! I love you, Mr. Bear!” The person filming adds, “Keep scratching, bear! Dude, that was the coolest thing I’ve seen.” After a few moments, the bear gets up and walks away down the trail. The final on-screen text reads, “See you on the day down, Big Cheeks!”
Video caption notes multiple bear sightings on the hike
The video’s caption provides additional context about the encounter. It states, “Only in Glacier! We saw 2 grizzlies and 2 black bears on this trail. A pretty memorable experience 🫶.” The caption includes hashtags such as #grizzlybear, #glacernationalpark, #bearsighting, and #Hiking.
The video has drawn numerous comments from viewers. According to the video’s creator, one comment reads, “What I love about this is that yall are being loud to protect yourselves but not yelling at the bear instead hyping them up HAHA so cute!!!” Another viewer wrote, “oh I love him (from this distance).” The urge to film and share unexpected animal encounters extends beyond bears, as a Canadian woman recently filmed a mystery animal stealing her cake in Mexico.
A third comment states, “Oh those scratchies were the PERFECT photo opportunity 😩.” Another person commented, “I love you Mr bear😂 I would’ve said the same time.” A different user wrote, “he really said ‘thanks for leaving me alone…let me give you some good footage for the memories’ 😂.” One final comment notes, “Him just saying Hi back is sending me.”
The encounter appears to have been a highlight for the group, with the video capturing a close and seemingly peaceful interaction with a wild grizzly bear in its natural habitat. The footage documents the bear’s behavior, from its initial appearance to its playful scratching and eventual departure, all while the hikers maintained a respectful distance.
