Watch: Bear crashes family picnic in viral video; mother shields son as animal enjoys their food

In what was a chance encounter but the one that would send chills down anyone's spine, a family picnic had an unexpected guest — a bear. The incident took place at Mexico’s Chipinque Ecological Park in the state of Nuevo Leon. In the now-viral video, the family is seen visibly frightened by the presence of the wild animal.

The short clip shared by numerous news platforms shows a woman covering the face of her kid as the bear climbed atop their table and ate food. In the visuals, the bear sniffed the plates before digging into them. Fearing the worst, the family members on the table sat still as the bear went about having french fries, enchiladas, tacos and salsa.

According to a report in the Associated Press, Silvia Macias was celebrating her 15-year-old son’s birthday, Santiago, at the park when she had to shield his face from the wild animal who munched on their food merely inches away.

Speaking with the news agency, Macias said that she thought Santiago might get scared, adding he is afraid of animals, a cat or a dog, a lot.

“That’s why I covered his eyes because I didn’t want him to see it and scream or run. I was afraid that if he got scared or screamed or scared the bear, that the bear would react,” she said about the Monday incident.

On Instagram, though, people reacted to the video in trademark humour.

"I just wanted some food. Chill," said a person. Another one had a sharp take on the person filming the incident. "Only the cameraman was moving because the cameraman never dies," the user wrote.

However, there were several who lauded the family's brilliant presence of mind and how they tackled what could have turned out to be an extremely dangerous situation.

"This family did so well! Also, that bear is so thin. Generally, black bears don’t approach people because they scare easily," wrote the person.

"Much better reaction than screaming. Amazing family. When enjoying a picnic keep this in mind. Even a gull can be dangerous. Be mindful and make sure to clean up after yourself," said another Instagram user, appreciating the family.

According to the BBC, the park authorities have warned visitors about the increased number of encounters with black bears.

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