National Park Service: 'Never push a slower friend down' in a bear encounter

March 2 (UPI) -- The National Park Service offered some sage advice for park visitors who encounter bears: "Never push a slower friend down."

The NPS said on its official Twitter account that feeding another human to a bear is never the answer.

"If you come across a bear, never push a slower friend down...even if you feel the friendship has run its course⁣," the NPS tweeted.

A reply to the tweet asked what a park visitor should do if they are the slower friend, to which NPS said: "Check in on the friendship before you head to the woods."

"Seeing a bear in the wild is a special treat for any visitor to a national park. While it is an exciting moment, it is important to remember that bears in national parks are wild and can be dangerous," officials wrote in a follow-up tweet.

The NPS shared a link to its page of bear encounter advice, which includes hiking in groups, picking up small children and keeping food away from the animals.