The National Park Service advised parkgoers facing a bear attack not to “push a slower friend down,” prompting a humorous back-and-forth with social media users with jokes of their own.
“If you come across a bear, never push a slower friend down… even if you feel the friendship has run its course,” the service tweeted on Tuesday.
“Seeing a bear in the wild is a special treat for any visitor to a national park. While it is an exciting moment, it is important to remember that bears in national parks are wild and can be dangerous,” the NPS added.
The NPS went on to warn that as spring arrives and snow begins to melt, many bears become more active.
The NPS also linked to a document detailing safety tips regarding how to avoid potential bear attacks in the wild.
The tweet, which had approximately 5.4 million views as of Wednesday, prompted hundreds of comments, some of which the verified NPS Twitter account replied to.
“Check in on the friendship before you head to the woods,” the NPS told one user who asked what someone should do if they are the slower friend.
“Okay, but what if the bear looks really hungry? Don’t they deserve a lil snack as a treat?” asked another user, to which the NPS replied, “Do you consider yourself the faster or slower of the two friends?”
Responding to a user who asked if it would be OK to push an acquaintance in front of a bear, the NPS wrote, “Friendships are special, but they don’t happen by chance. It takes effort and trust to build a lasting friendship. Good luck.”
“Whoever’s running this account…keep going,” tweeted KENS 5 anchor Alicia Neaves.