Canadian joggers run from black bear

Hopefully your morning jog wasn't this scary.

Two Canadian men's heart rates really spiked when they noticed a black bear stalking them. The bear followed them for approximately five minutes before the men were able to sprint to their vehicle.

The joggers tried retreating, yelling and even pleading with the bear to get it to leave them alone, but nothing seemed to work. HLN / CTV reports:

"The moment that I met the bear, it was an instant turn around, don't make eye contact, walk away - and that didn't seem to work," said one of the joggers.
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"Stay together. We'll look bigger together," one man said to the other during the ordeal.

At one point, they even grabbed a rock, fearing an attack.

One of the joggers, Bruce Allan, told CTV: "I was ready for him to pretty much pounce on me at any time. For about three or four minutes, I figured, 'What part of me is going to get gouged or ripped open?'"

Fortunately, the bear opted to climb a tree instead, giving the men a chance to sprint to safety.

Their decision to retreat in the first place might have done more harm than good, though. The Huffington Post quoted the Get Bear Smart Society, which offers this advice: "If the bear follows you and its attention is clearly directed at you, then stand your ground and prepare to use your deterrent. A bear that is initially curious or testing you may become predatory if you do not stand up to it."

If you have a close encounter with a bear, the society advises you to shout, stomp your feet, make yourself as large as possible and look the animal in the eyes to let it know you will fight back if attacked.

That advice sounds perfectly good, but we might just stick to the treadmill.