Quesnel, BC, woman licked by a bear while browsing TikTok | The Canadian News

A British Columbia woman reminds people to always keep an eye on their surroundings after an encounter with wildlife that is too close for comfort.

Melanie Porter was sitting in her backyard in Quesnel on Thursday browsing TikTok when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.

What you initially thought was a cat turned out, in fact, a bear.

“It was so surreal. I’m not the type of girl who likes outdoor activities, I’ve never been around any bears, “she said.

“It was pure panic, so I froze. It was like an adrenaline rush, holy Hannah, what should I do? ”.

2:08Concern for the fate of the orphaned bear cub near Kamloops

When Porter froze, the bear approached her from the side. Then he did something that she said she will never forget.

“He sniffed and then decided to lick my right hand,” he said.

“And then he came in for a second lick and his mouth was wider, and I said, ‘No,’ so I pulled it back and he decided to back off. I must have scared him. “

When the bear backed away, Porter managed to snap a quick photo with her phone that was still open, before she and the bear retreated from each other.

How does a bear’s tongue feel?

“It just feels like a dog’s tongue, not a cat,” he said. “Basically a gigantic dog tongue, like a Newfoundland Lab.”

Porter said he did not call conservation officials for fear they would kill the bear, adding that bear trafficking in his neighborhood is not unusual, even though residents are diligent about locking up their trash.

She said that she initially believed the bear was a brown bear, but that her hunter friends told her it was a black bear, because of its claws.