WATCH – A bear walked up and sniffed a man reading in Colorado, and he didn’t even flinch

Maybe it’s just me, but if a wild bear gets within 10 feet of me, I am probably booking it… Not everyone is built like me though, I guess.

Andy Barrow was visiting Aspen from New York and settled in with a book on Tuesday, Sept. 29, when a black bear wandered over to see what he was up to. Karen Preiss caught the whole thing on video. The bear walks right up, sniffs him for a few seconds, decides he isn’t worth its time and moves on. Barrow barely moves. His summary afterward was perfect: “Gave me a sniff, moved on.”

Barrow later explained that by the time he realized how close the bear was, it was too late to get up, so he stayed as still and calm as he could and hoped it would keep walking. It worked. In the video he looks about as worried as someone waiting for a latte. Nobody else nearby seemed very worried either, which says a lot about what a normal fall day in Aspen looks like right now.

It’s been quite a stretch for Aspen’s bears. Last weekend, one walked into the Aspen Saturday Market and helped itself to bread and pastries at a bakery booth until officers ran it off with bean bag rounds. Now one is stopping by to see what people are reading. Bears across Colorado are in their pre-hibernation eating frenzy, and with the drought cutting into their natural food, they’re spending a lot more time in town.

Barrow got lucky and handled it the right way. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says that if you’re surprised by a bear, you should stand still, stay calm and let it figure out what you are and leave. You should never walk up to a bear or feed one. Still, this New Yorker deserves credit. He came to Aspen for a quiet afternoon with a book and left with the best vacation story he’ll ever tell.