A wild bear crept up on a distracted tourist as he was talking selfies on a mountain road.
The man had no idea the animal was there at all.
The beast edged closer and closer until it was only millimetres away.
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It sniffed his leg and even touched the man with its nose.
At one point, the bear even appeared to nibble at the tourist’s calf.
But he remained completely unaware and never looked up from his screen.
Other drivers nearby filmed the whole terrifying moment as it unfolded.
One motorist edged his car forward in a bid to scare the beast off.
Only when the bear moved into his line of sight did the tourist finally notice the danger.
He panicked and sprinted straight to his car.
The close call happened on the busy Transfăgărășan mountain road in the Făgăraș Mountains in Romania on 27 July.
Footage of the near-miss spread rapidly across social media and has already racked up millions of views.
Experts said the tourist’s total stillness may have confused the animal and stopped it from attacking.
Sabin Cornoiu, head of the mountain rescue service Salvamont, explained: “He does not move away at all, but look how the bear has gained courage and is showing its true intentions.
“Probably the tourist’s calm state did not prompt an action from the bear.”
He added that people should move away slowly in the opposite direction and leave behind a jacket, rucksack or food if chased so they can escape with their life.
Romania is home to one of Europe’s largest brown bear populations, with officials estimating between 10,000 and 13,000 animals, as reported by Need to know
Sightings along the scenic highway are common these days.
Many of the bears have lost their natural fear of people after years of contact.
Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu warned that repeated feeding by visitors is largely to blame.
She said: “On the Transfăgărășan those bears no longer have a natural fear of people and come because they have been fed over time.”
Authorities keep urging tourists to keep their distance from the wildlife.
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