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THE GREAT WHITE NORTH — Australia has a bit of a reputation for having creatures that make you say, "Nope!" But Canada is creeping up there when it comes to frightening wildlife encounters.
Take this surveillance video that captured a nail-biting interaction between a bear and a 7-year-old boy on a scooter in British Columbia as an example.
Inside Edition posted the video earlier this week, and it has quickly garnered millions of views on various social media platforms. You can see the bear run to the child. The two stare eye-to-eye a few feet apart for a few moments before a neighbor comes running out, raises his arms and chases the bear away.
The outlet reports it obtained the video from the boy's mother, who said she had warned her son to be aware of bears and act calm should he come in contact with one someday.
Wild Aware Utah — a joint venture between the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah's Hogle Zoo and Utah State University-Extension — points out people should stand their ground and never back up, lie down, play dead, run away or climb a tree if they encounter a bear.
It also advises people to stay calm, give the bear a chance to leave or make themselves look bigger by raising their arms and standing tall.
That's exactly what the kid and the neighbor did in this situation, highlighting the importance of being prepared.
"I think most adults, even in that moment, would've perhaps panicked or run away," the boy's mother told Inside Edition. "Not everybody knows what to do there so I'm super proud of him."
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