He dashed through many bushes to a clearing where several tourists had parked their cars. Most of them were running away and locking themselves in their vehicles, which could only mean one thing: trouble was afoot.
Since the area was a grizzly bear territory, the ranger carried his rifle, hoping he’d not have to use it. He dashed past the cars, but what he saw made him stop.
When Brody decided to work as a park ranger, he’d only wanted to fulfill his childhood dream. He’d worked hard through school, finally getting a chance to train as a ranger.
Before he knew it, he was patrolling the beaten paths of Yellowstone National Park, ensuring that everything was in order. But what would happen that day would show him that the wild was a place to be respected.
Brody McCormick was your average twenty-nine-year-old ranger from Wyoming, United States. A lover of the outdoors and everything it brought, he enjoyed spending time in the wild where nature and peace intertwined.
The only child to a botanist mom and zoologist dad, it came as no shock that Brody would forge a life steeped in Biology. All his life, he’d wanted to be a ranger so he could protect wildlife. But that day, he’d find himself stopping instead of rushing to help.
Brody grew up with the great stories surrounding the wild Yellowstone National Park. His dad, who centered his studies on the park’s magnificent animals, always regaled him with these tales, ensuring that Brody’s childhood was magical.
But although these stories were always captivating, his dad never failed to inject caution within them. One, in particular, stayed with Brody through the years: the warnings surrounding grizzly bears.
Among the three species of bears native to North America, grizzlies rank second in terms of viciousness, nearly surpassing the white-coated polar bear. Grizzlies not only weigh between 700 to 1700 pounds but can be as tall as five feet when standing on their hind legs.
An apex predator in most ecological systems, they’re more than capable of climbing trees, swimming through most water bodies, and outrunning any human fleeing on their feet. Safe to say that antagonizing such terrifying spawns of nature should be the last thing on anyone’s mind.
Well, the woman in this story must’ve failed to get the memo regarding grizzly bears because she found out the hard way that these animals might look snuggly on the outside but are anything but.
For many, Brody included, witnessing what the bear did to the woman was more than a cautionary tale that would doubtlessly be a lesson for many generations.
The day the incident took place started like many others around the park. After a quick visit to the park office to run through the day’s logistics, Brody hurried into the wild to ensure tourists enjoyed their time while respecting the park’s wildlife.
He took his regular route through the park, covering his assigned areas. He was about to return to the office for a quick rest when he heard the commotion.
The sound was an amalgamation of tourist cheers and animal growls. Fearing the worst, Brody hurried to the source of the commotion, hoping everything was alright. The park had strict rules when it came to tourists viewing the animals.
For one, they weren’t allowed to be more than a hundred yards from dangerous species such as bears. Although most tourists adhered to these rules, a few wholly neglected them. You can already guess which category the woman falls into.
Brody dashed through many bushes to a clearing where several tourists had parked their cars. Most of them were running away and locking themselves in their vehicles, which could only mean one thing: trouble was afoot.
Since the area was a grizzly bear territory, Brody carried his rifle, hoping he’d not have to use it. He dashed past the cars, but what he saw made him stop.
Brody wasn’t even close to the scene when he heard a deep roar. His heart paused as his mind registered the sound. It was a grizzly bear.
But as he ran toward the commotion, hoping none of the tourists were getting mauled by the animal, he saw something that made him wish he’d been off duty that day.
Brody’s sight landed on the grizzly, a towering beast brimming with rage. But to make everything worse, there were two smaller bears behind it.
He bit back a curse. This was a momma bear, and if there was anything worse than a grizzly bear, it was one with cubs. He stopped for a second before his sight landed on the woman.
Everybody was locked in their cars by now, except for the woman, who was smiling with her phone. From the look of things, she was taking photos of the bear, which was not thrilled by her presence.
The bear charged at her, and only when it was a few feet away did she turn to sprint. Brody knew he had to get to the woman.
Momma bears are usually more aggressive than other bears because they seek to protect their young. In many cases, they will maul anything in their way to ensure their cubs’ safety.
Brody let go of his rifle and pulled out his bear spray can as he dashed to the woman. He was lucky the vehicles hid him from the bear’s sight, or the situation would’ve ended differently. What the bear did next made him stop in his tracks.
With a warning roar, the bear screeched to a stop before turning away. The woman jumped into her car, a smart move because she was out of the bear’s view.
What the bear had done – a mock charge – is usually meant to warn intruders that they are invading the bear’s personal space. If the woman didn’t run when she did, she would’ve been done for. But although she was safe from the bear, the state’s legal team would teach her a lesson she’d never forget.
The woman went to court and got fined for breaking park rules. She went to jail for four days, paid a hefty sum in damages, and was barred from entering any national park or reserve for a year.
For Brody, the woman’s sentence was well deserved. The woman should be thankful that she walked away with all body parts still attached. Many people who antagonized bears in such a manner weren’t as lucky as she was. Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
