The footage depicts the bear boldly helping itself to the food on the picnic table, which included enchiladas, salsa, tacos, and French fries, while the woman and her child sat frozen in a state of terror. The mother is seen protecting her child by pulling him close to her and covering his eyes with her right hand. The bear leans towards the child at one point, causing the mother and child to flinch. The bear then moves across the picnic table towards another girl, who sits motionless at the other end of the table. As there is no more food, the bear leaps off the table and leaves.
The video has garnered over 13 million views, with many netizens expressing their admiration for the woman's bravery. Some have even humorously suggested that the bear has developed a taste for Mexican cuisine.
According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), the individual featured in the video is identified as Silvia Macía. She had made a trip to a park located on the outskirts of Monterrey City in order to celebrate her son Santiago's 15th birthday. Santiago, who has Down syndrome, possesses a deep fear of animals, be it a cat, dog, or any other creature. In an interview with AP, Silvia Macía stated, "Santiago is extremely frightened by animals.
The mere presence of a cat or a dog terrifies him." She further explained her decision to cover his eyes, expressing her desire to prevent him from witnessing the bear and potentially reacting with screams or fleeing. The video was recorded by Silvia's friend, Ms. Angela, who was well aware of the importance of not running when encountering a bear. As reported by the BBC, the park authorities have issued warnings regarding the increasing number of black bear sightings in the Monterrey metropolitan area. These bears have been observed wandering in parks, residential neighborhoods, and streets near the mountains. It is worth noting that this is not the first instance where a bear sighting in the same park has garnered attention on the internet.
In 2020, a video capturing a black bear sniffing a visitor's hair also went viral. That bear was later caught and castrated, sparking outrage in some quarters. Experts said the episode could have been avoided if park visitors and guides had not fed the bears with food scraps for the sake of taking photos of them up close.
