For many of us, something happens the moment we learn that we’re going to bring a child into the world. It seems like there's instantly increased intuition and a fierce desire to protect the young fragile life growing inside of us. Women with these traits are mama bears. And that watchfulness only grows as your embryo becomes an actual baby in your arms.
But what happens when a mama bear is confronted with a real-life bear? While many of us would freeze, or attempt to run, one mother knew exactly what to do.
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Silvia Macías came with a plan in case of a bear encounter.
Silvia, who is from Mexico City, was throwing a birthday party for her 15-year-old son Santiago, who has Down syndrome, reported the Associated Press. She chose Chipinque Park, on the outskirts of Monterrey, for the picnic celebration, complete with french fries, enchiladas, tacos, and salsa.
Silvia knew that bears live in and around this park. Though they usually come out at dawn or dusk, she still had a plan. “We are going to play a game where we cover Santiago’s eyes and we are going to act like statues,” she recalled rehearsing the plan.
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And well, it happened.
When a bear climbed onto the table and started eating the food, Silvia had to put that plan into action. She sat still, while the bear ate inches away from her. Then she placed her son’s head on her chest and shielded his eyes with her hand.
She also kept her own eyes down to keep the bear calm and prevent him from considering her behavior as a challenge. “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 of the incident, according to AP.
When asked if he was scared, Santiago said, 'Yes, a lot.'
Silvia was intent on being calm because her son is afraid of animals. “The worst thing was that Santiago might get scared,” she told AP. “Santiago is very afraid of animals, a cat or a dog, any animal scares him a lot.”
And this was the appropriate time to be scared. “The bear was very close to us, we heard him as he growled, as he ate, you could smell the bear,” Silvia said. “It was really very very close.” As if there were any doubt. Santiago confirmed. When asked if he was scared, he said, "Yes, a lot.”
Silvia's friend eventually got the bear to retreat.
Silvia’s friend Angela, who filmed the whole thing, lives in Monterrey and knows how to handle a bear encounter. The key is never run. Angela was also the one who got the bear away from the table. After the bear ate the fries, and the salsa, she tossed the enchilada away from the table to get him away from the area. He fell for it. Then Angela stood in front of him and shielded Silvia and her son, allowing him to retreat.
Silvia doesn't consider herself a hero.
Eventually, the bear went away. Santiago had his tacos replaced and everything ended well. Silvia doesn’t consider herself a hero. Instead, she said she just did what she had to do. “I just think I’m a mother who protected her cub,” she said.
