A woman who snapped a selfie with a black bear in a hair-raisingly close encounter has been hailed for her "nerves of steel" after footage of the incident went viral.
In a video shared to social media, the black bear can be seen rearing up on its hind legs and getting a little too close for comfort to the woman, who calmly fires off a selfie as if the bear is nothing more than a hiking companion. The bear continues to sniff the woman, who appears to be on a trail with a friend, before eventually losing interest.
According to TMZ, the encounter happened on Saturday (local time) at the Chipinque Ecological Park in Mexico.
Local authorities advise people to "stay calm" if they come into close proximity with a black bear and to never stand between a cub and its mother. Taking shelter and closely watching the bear's behaviour is also advised. Perhaps unsurprisingly, photographing or taking a selfie with the animal is a big no-no.
Black bears are typically known to avoid confrontations with humans and aren't considered as an overtly dangerous species.