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Man who calmly read his book when bear sniffed him tells all
Barrow, a New York visitor, was reading in Aspen on Sept. 29 when the bear wandered through the area and approached him. A bystander, Karen Preiss, happened to capture the remarkable encounter on video.
The bear walked directly toward Barrow, leaned in and sniffed him before casually continuing on its way.
And Barrow? He barely moved.
“I Guess I Will Stay as Still as Possible”
Speaking with CBS Colorado afterward, Barrow admitted that he was scared despite how calm he appeared in the video.
He said the moment happened so quickly that he didn't have much time to formulate a plan. He compared the experience to the scene in Jurassic Park where people are warned not to move when a Tyrannosaurus is nearby.
By the time he realized how close the bear was, it was already right beside him.
His solution was simple: stay still and keep reading.
“I guess I will stay as still as possible and just look at the book,” Barrow recalled. The bear eventually gave him a sniff and moved on.
The Video Captured the Whole Thing
The footage shows just how close the encounter became.
The bear appears completely uninterested in causing trouble. It approaches Barrow, investigates him for a few seconds and then continues strolling through Aspen as if nothing unusual happened.
Other people were nearby during the encounter, but the bear eventually moved on without incident.
What looked remarkably calm on camera felt very different for Barrow.
He later told CBS Colorado that he became more frightened after seeing videos of the encounter and realizing just how close the animal had actually been.
Bears Are Preparing for Winter
The unusual encounter comes during a particularly active time for Colorado's bears.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says bears are entering hyperphagia, the period when they eat heavily to build up energy before winter. When natural food sources become harder to find, bears can venture into populated areas looking for food.
The agency reported more than 11,000 human-bear encounters in Colorado this year, highlighting how often people and wildlife are crossing paths.
A Vacation Story He Won't Forget
Barrow may have arrived in Aspen expecting a peaceful visit, but he left with a story few people could top.
A bear walked up while he was reading, sniffed him and walked away — all while he sat frozen in place with his book.
For a few unforgettable seconds, Barrow wasn't just enjoying a good read.
He was apparently the most interesting thing on the bear's afternoon itinerary.
Source: CBS Colorado
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