Shocking video shows a man using a shovel to fend off a bear trying to steal his cookies on a California beach.
The incident happened at Pope Beach in South Lake Tahoe. USA Today Reported Derek Sears, 18, told Southwest News on Tuesday that he was with some friends at a picnic area on the beach when the bear approached him, the news agency reported.
Video circulating on social media shows the bear approaching a picnic area and rummaging through a cooler, with beachgoers heard yelling at the bear to “go away” and throwing beach chairs to try to scare it away.
“Hey, they took my cookie!” cameraman Sears can be heard yelling. “Hey! Give me my cookie!”
As the bear continues to walk along the beach, another man can be seen slamming a shovel against a picnic table, then he continues slamming the shovel against a nearby tree in an attempt to get the bear to back away.
The bear appears to lunge at the man with the shovel, who then punches the bear in the face. (Related: Video captures charging bear roaming classroom).
“Man Fights Bear.” Watch as a man uses a shovel to scare off a hungry bear from a picnic area on a California beach. pic.twitter.com/e0Qu538jke
— USA TODAY Travel (@usatodaytravel) August 13, 2024
“My brother is fighting a bear,” says the cameraman.
After being hit, the bear runs off.
Sears said he wasn't surprised to see the bear because encounters with bears are common in the area, USA Today reported.
“Living in Northern California, it's normal to encounter bears,” Sears was reported to have told Southwest News after the encounter. “I was pretty surprised when the guy hit the bear over the head with the shovel.”
“I actually saw two bears rummaging through a trash can last night,” he was quoted as telling the news agency, “so I got out of the way and thought I'd make a cool video.”
No one was injured in the incident, according to USA Today.
