‘She’s very lucky.’ Wildlife experts weigh in on video of teen shoving a bear
Most people would probably turn away after spotting a bear, but a California 17-year-old sprinted through her backyard toward one.
She could’ve been seriously hurt, wildlife officials said.
Hailey Morinico discovered a bear and cubs perched on top of a wall in her backyard in Bradbury, a city in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles, her mother told McClatchy News on Tuesday.
The bear, likely defending its cubs, started swiping at the family’s four dogs — until Morinico stepped in.
“Immediately she reacted with superhuman strength,” the teen’s mother, Citally Morinico told McClatchy News. “She pushed the bear and rescued the dogs,”
The teen ran toward the bear and shoved it from the ledge and out of the yard, home security video shows. She rounded up all the dogs and darted back away from the bear.
“My daughter is a hero,” her mom said. “My daughter literally made eye contact with death and pushed it off a ledge.”
Wildlife experts, however, said they wouldn’t advise others to follow Morinico’s actions. If it went differently, the bear could’ve seriously injured her.
“Though we don’t want to be critical of the young woman – people love their pets – we certainly advise against people getting this close or aggressive to a bear,” a spokesperson from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told McClatchy News in an email. “She’s very lucky not to have been seriously hurt.”
Morinico agreed with wildlife officials and told NBC Los Angeles that she probably wouldn’t push the bear again.
“Knowing all the risks and what could’ve happened, I don’t think I’d do it again,” she told the news outlet.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife volunteers plan to pass out flyers this week in the Bradbury area that have information on how people should respond if they see a bear.
People who come face-to-face with a bear should move away slowly and sideways, according to the National Park Service. Running away is also a bad idea, but people should still try to leave the area safely.
“Moving sideways is also non-threatening to bears,” the National Park Service said on its website. “Do NOT run, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. Bears can run as fast as a racehorse both uphill and down. Like dogs, they will chase fleeing animals.”
A bear is more likely to attack if cubs are nearby. The National Park Service said people should never approach a bear with cubs.
Wildlife officials in California also offered the following tips to deter bears:
Don’t leave food scraps in your yard
Have a bear-proof garbage can
Don’t put out the trash can until the morning it’s to be collected
Do not leave food in your vehicle
Do not spray bear spray near your property (It can actually attract bears once dried)
Do not feed wildlife near your home
This story was originally published June 2, 2021 at 10:36 AM with the headline "‘She’s very lucky.’ Wildlife experts weigh in on video of teen shoving a bear."