Man fights off bear with shovel in dramatic encounter

This is the moment a man scared off a huge bear which had invaded a picnic area — using a shovel. 

Derek Sears, 18, was enjoying a day at Pope Beach in South Lake Tahoe, California with his friends when a large brown bear approached.

Seemingly indifferent to the groups of people, the bear began rummaging through a cooler full of drinks and cookies.

In an attempt to scare the animal away, Derek threw a plastic chair in its direction but the hungry bear didn’t flinch.

As the bear continued its tour of the picnic area, an un-named man, armed with a shovel, began banging the tool on the sand and the table.

But instead of fleeing, the bear returned and engaged in a dramatic stand off.

As the bear began to take a few steps towards him, the man quickly bashed the bear’s nose with the shovel, sending it scurrying into a nearby wooded area.

Derek, a student from Placerville, California, said: “I was very surprised when the man hit the bear on the head with the shovel.

“Living in Northern California encountering bears is a normal thing. I actually saw two bears going through a dumpster last night.

“So I just stepped out of its way and thought it would make a cool video.”