Skiers at Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly Mountain Resort had an extraordinary encounter when a large black bear suddenly dashed across a bustling ski run on a sunny Sunday morning. The incident occurred around 11 am and was captured on video by Tao Feng.
The footage shows the bear emerging from the woods, pausing briefly at the slope’s edge, and then sprinting across the trail, startling numerous skiers in its path. Feng nearly collided with the bear during the encounter.
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The video, shared on TikTok on Monday, quickly went viral, amassing over 800,000 views and thousands of shares. It begins with skiers and snowboarders navigating the Ridge Run trail when the bear suddenly appears.
Despite the surprise, none of the skiers lost their speed as they maneuvered around the bear, and fortunately, no one was harmed.
Feng recounted his experience to KTLA, expressing relief that the bear safely reunited with its mother on the other side of the trail. “I didn’t realize it was a bear until it was too close,” he wrote in his social media post accompanying the video.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates the state’s black bear population to be between 30,000 and 40,000. Although bear encounters are not uncommon, incidents resulting in human injury are rare.
Social media users responded with a mix of humor and astonishment. One commented, “Bearly made it!” while another wondered, “How was everyone casually skiing by?!” Feng responded, admitting that he feared the bear might attack if he stopped too close.
“All I could think of was to get away fast, and I bet the bear thought the same.” Another user added a playful twist, “I could BEARly watch. I was afraid of a GRIZZLY outcome or PANDAmonium, but it turned out to be the POLAR opposite, a KODIAK moment!”
The unexpected encounter left a lasting impression on those who witnessed it, highlighting the wild and unpredictable nature of the great outdoors.
Watch the video below:
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