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Kayaker charged by grizzly bear in British Columbia river

By Ben Hooper
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July 17 (UPI) -- A kayker serving as a safety guide for a rafting tour group was charged by a fast-swimming grizzly bear and the scary encounter was caught on video.

Footage recorded by an Adventure Group Whistler tour guide's GoPro camera during a rafting trip on the Elaho River near Squamish, British Columbia, shows a grizzly bear running into the water and swimming fast toward the group's safety kayaker.

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The footage, which was posted to Instagram by tour guide Dave Hugill, shows the kayaker manage to paddle faster than the swimming bear and keep out of its reach.

Sgt. Simon Gravel with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said he found the footage surprising.

"I've never seen a kayaker being charged like this," he told Global News. "We do have some cases where a black bear or a grizzly bear will bluff charge. In most cases, it's a defensive behavior. They're just trying to communicate that you're not welcome in the area."

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