A massive black bear charged a lone hiker in Angeles National Forest last week.
The hiker did something no survival expert would ever recommend.
Now the video is everywhere – and nobody can agree on whether this man is brave or completely out of his mind.
Mount Wilson Trail Bear Charges Hiker Shaking Bells on Video
Eric Chiu hikes the Mount Wilson Trail at least three times a week, ten miles each time.
He had never seen a bear before April 15.
When the large black bear appeared on the trail, Chiu did what any sensible person would do – he stopped, pulled out his phone, and started recording.
What he captured next is the part nobody expected.
The hiker in front of him – dressed in full gear, hat on, bells in hand – turned and walked directly toward the animal.
Not away. Toward.
"I was thinking this guy is crazy, and I hope nothing happens to him," Chiu told NBC Los Angeles. "I'm not sure what was going through his mind, to be honest, because the last thing you would expect is for someone to actually walk toward a bear."
The bear, visibly agitated, closed the distance fast.
The two were feet apart when the video cut off.
The hiker eventually managed a slow backward retreat as the bear pressed forward.
The bear did not follow.
What to Do If You Encounter a Bear in California According to Wildlife Experts
Wildlife experts are nearly unanimous on bear encounters: do not run, do not make sudden movements, and do not close the distance.
Making noise to announce your presence before an encounter is legitimate – it is why hikers carry bells in the first place.
But bells are a prevention tool, not a response tool.
Once you are standing feet away from a bear that has already spotted you, your positioning matters more than your volume.
The National Park Service is blunt about what comes next: hold your ground, speak calmly, back away slowly, and under no circumstances trigger the animal's chase instinct by running.
The hiker's slow retreat as the bear advanced is what the NPS recommends – and it worked.
California's bears are black bears, even when they appear brown or cinnamon in color.
Black bears are generally more skittish than grizzlies and can be deterred by calm, assertive behavior – which is exactly why this encounter ended without injuries.
Bear Encounters in Angeles National Forest Are Rising and Most Hikers Have No Idea What to Do
The Angeles National Forest sits directly above Los Angeles, making it the backyard trail system for more than 20 million people in the greater metro area.
Most of them have never been trained on what to do when the trail belongs to something other than them.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife data shows bear-human interactions climbing steadily across the state as bear populations recover and trail use continues to surge.
The forest has an estimated 30,000 black bears statewide, with a healthy population in the high desert mountain landscape surrounding the Mount Wilson Trail.
Bears and hikers increasingly share the same narrow paths because trails are simply the easiest route through steep terrain and heavy brush – for both species.
A bear that feels boxed in on a narrow trail may charge not out of predation but because you are blocking its exit.
The man in this video is lucky he eventually backed up.
Next time, the bear might not give him the chance to figure that out.
Sources:
- Eric Chiu interview, NBC Los Angeles, April 2026.
- "Video shows bear charge at hiker trying to scare it away on Mt. Wilson trail," ABC7 Los Angeles, April 23, 2026.
- "Los Angeles Hiker Faces Down Charging Bear in Dramatic Video," Unofficial Networks, April 21, 2026.
- National Park Service, Bear Encounters: Safety in Bear Country.
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Keep Me Wild: Black Bears.
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