Grizzly bear circles woman and dog near Alberta campsite

A grizzly bear walked toward Jessie and her dog Skoki near a wilderness camp in Alberta’s Kananaskis Country and came within just a few feet of them, all while Jessie stood outside with a cup of morning coffee in hand. The close call, recorded on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, shows how quickly a routine morning near camp can turn into a bear encounter.

Jelmer de Blois, a licensed hiking and wilderness guide with Wilderness Escape Adventures, filmed the encounter. In the video, the bear appears on a gravel driveway or highway near the camp and quickens its pace as it moves toward Jessie and Skoki before veering away. De Blois said his company provides guided camping and hiking trips in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains.

The footage has drawn attention because it fits into a string of grizzly encounters in Alberta’s backcountry that have been captured on camera. Kananaskis Country, a popular recreation area in the Rocky Mountains, has seen repeated warnings after close calls between people and bears, underscoring the risks that come with campers, hikers and dogs moving through the same corridors as grizzlies.

A similar encounter unfolded on July 19, 2025, when a grizzly followed Howard Mah and Lori Arnason along the Troll Falls trail in Kananaskis until the couple roared at it and the animal fled. That episode, like the one involving Jessie and Skoki, highlights how fast a bear can close distance when it is moving along trails, roads or camp access areas.

The June 24 video offers a stark view of how bear encounters often begin with an animal appearing suddenly at close range and deciding whether to advance or retreat. In this case, Jessie’s dog was with her outside the camp, the bear came in tight, and the moment ended without injury, but only after the animal had already moved to within a few feet.