Anytime you are out in the wilderness, you have to remember that you are in the home of wildlife. The same way we may be surprised to stumble upon a wild animal inside our living room, animals may be surprised to find us in their territory. While the majority of the time they will flee from us, other times our presence will feel threatening. It is those times that you need to be wary of. No one was more wary than this NHL mascot, who had a close call with a bear in Alaska while filming a promotional video.
NHL Mascot Has Close Call With A Bear
Screenshot from nhlbuoy Instagram
I hope the video was worth it! So often, I see people doing stupid things in public in the name of social media. Oftentimes, when people are so focused on getting the shot or the video, they miss out on things right in front of their faces. Luckily, in this instance, that was not entirely the case. A travelling NHL mascot was trying to film a promotional video in Katmai National Park.
However, I doubt he was prepared for the whole Alaskan experience that he received. Buoy, the mascot for the Seattle Kraken, and John Hayden, who plays forward for the Kraken, were just enjoying their day. Hayden was fishing near Buoy for the promotional video when a bear appeared in the background. Luckily, everyone was paying attention.
The Close Call
As the video begins, a large bear can be seen entering the water on the opposite side of the river. Someone off camera states, " We got a bear. Oh, I got to break you off now." Thank goodness for the team's attention and preparedness, as it appears the bear was not a fan of Buoy. Everyone begins to move away from the wild animal calmly. Despite their moving away, the bear continues to follow them, moving further into the water.
At one point, the bear charges after Buoy. I am sure the NHL mascot did not expect to have a close encounter with a bear that day. Nevertheless, he stayed as cool as a cucumber. Even when the bear was charging he never ran. Instead, he continued to calmly walk through the water away from the animal, showing it that he was not a threat.
After the terrifying moment, Hayden tries to make it lighthearted. He joked, "I want to blame it on Buoy. They were pretty interested in his whole look." Luckily, everyone got out of the encounter okay. Just a friendly reminder to always respect wildlife.
