Bear spots a GoPro camera, takes a swing at it

This Alaskan grizzly bear was not in the mood for a close up...

The bear takes aim (GoPro/YouTube)

A camera shy bear got the best of a GoPro camera when just one temperamental swipe of its giant paw was enough to send it flying.

Environmental videographer Brad Josephs set up a camera to record grizzly bears in their natural habitat in Alaska.

He sent up the free standing digital camera and backed away to a safe distance to observe the bears going about their day without human intervention.

But he got a little more than he bargained for when one curious grizzly spotted the camera and after a moment of hesitation as it makes sure the camera isn’t a threat smacked the GoPro onto its side.

The footage is now part of an advert for the high end cameras for “extreme action” use but it is not the first time the cameras have had a run in with their furry friends.

Just last week a bear in Russia was seen sniffing the camera curiously before clamping down on it with its teeth in footage shared by the Russian Geographical Society, according to news website UPI.

In a similar incident in Canada last year, a bear was caught stealing a GoPro to chew on, on a bear viewing platform, the Toronto Sun reported.