A mom in Redmond has gone viral after a video showed her grabbing her toddler who was chasing a black bear in their back yard. The ordeal was caught on home security cameras and posted to social media platform TikTok where it has now amassed more than 3 million views.
A small black bear is seen in the video running along the cement wall in the Washington back yard, according to USA Today. Concerned mother Samantha Martin was following her toddler, saying "Juniper, come back inside."
That was not enough to deter her daughter who decided to chase after the bear upon seeing it. The young girl can be heard screaming "That's a bear!" as she ran towards the wild animal. Martin is then seen on the viral video chasing and grabbing her toddler before running inside the house.
Juniper noticed bear running across the fence and decided to chase it
Martin told news outlet Fox 13 that they had been watching a movie at the family's home when her two-year-old child spotted what looked like a furry friend in their backyard. Juniper had secretly unlocked the patio door and was quickly on the move to meet the bear.
Martin said the bear started running across the fence and her daughter chased it. Her maternal instincts quickly kicked in as she sprinted after her child when she realized what was happening. Martin said she just panicked and she did not really have a lot of thoughts in the moment so much as get her child and get back inside.
Martin added that the little bear ran away, but she was more concerned about the bear's mother which she believed was lurking around the property. Martin said that it was just a little baby bear, but her biggest concern was not necessarily the baby bear so much as she did not know where the mom was and did not know how she would feel about two humans running towards her baby.
According to Martin, Juniper loves reading and has recently been learning from an animal identification book with bears currently her favorite animal. Martin said she thinks her daughter was just excited to see something from her book.
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Bears attracted to bird feeders
Martin said that the bear had been feasting on the seeds in a now-destroyed bird feeder in the family's backyard. She said the bear had pulled the bird feeder down or ripped it or loosened it. Martin's home does sit near a greenway and golf course in Redmond where bears and other wildlife like to roam.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WFDW) said that bears are emerging from their winter dens this time of year. Officials are asking people to secure unnatural food sources to reduce encounters with bears, who are hungry and in search of calories.
Chase Gunnell, Puget Sound Region Communications Manager of WDFW, said that bird feeders can provide a real attractant for bears and other wildlife. His advice to homeowners is to take down their bird feeders in the spring.
