Seattle Kraken mascot gets chased by a bear during video shoot
If there is one thing the Seattle Kraken’s mascot “Buoy” might be packing next time he goes out for a video shoot, it might be bear spray.
During a midsummer fishing shoot alongside Kraken center John Hayden and others, the turquoise and flashy colours of the Kraken mascot caught a bear’s eye, with the six-foot-tall sea troll acting as the best bait of the day.
Unveiled ahead of the team’s second season in 2022-23, Buoy is one of the NHL’s most unique mascots, but that’s partially what may have led to the scary encounter during a trip to Katmai National Park in Alaska.
TROLL NARROWLY ESCAPES BEAR ENCOUNTER🤯🧌🐻
*no trolls or bears were hurt in the making, always respect wildlife in their natural habitat 🩶 pic.twitter.com/WBvw9RFkS0
During the video, the bear casually grazes on the side of the river, before taking steps towards Buoy, and eventually charging, as the mascot, Hayden and others rushed out of the river.
Luckily for all, the bear let up in its charge, but not before providing a frightening moment by standing up on its two back legs. Impressively, all in the video stayed calm, until the bear wandered back into the forest.
“While we were fishing, we had a pretty close call with a couple of bears,” Hayden says in the video posted to the Kraken’s social platforms. “I want to blame it on Buoy, they were pretty interested in his whole look…we got out of it ok, but it was a close call.”
If the bear had caught up or continued, things might not have been all that fun for much longer. Bears are much faster than humans, and likely sea trolls too.
Although the video became a viral and funny piece of content thanks to the fact that everybody stayed safe, it proved to be a good reminder to be prepared when heading out into nature in any season – even if you’re a mascot.