If you've seen the movie or even a trailer for Cocaine Bear, you already know what will happen if you come across a black bear — you'll likely die.

Okay, not really. That's a largely fictional horror comedy about a bear on a drug-fueled rampage and no one has ever seen a real bear act like that.

In reality, black bear behavior is just the opposite.

"Typically, a bear is going to be fearful of humans," said Anthony Ballard, Black Bear Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. "That's the way black bears act."

"They're intimidated by humans. Typically, a bear is going to see you and move away before you see it."

Even so, black bears are large, wild animals and should be treated with respect. And with Mississippi's black bear population increasing, the odds of people encountering bears are increasing, too.

BearWise is an organization formed by biologists to help people understand how to coexist with bears and a part of that message is advice on bear encounters.

So, here's what to do if you find yourself face to face with a black bear.

'It was at least a 200-pound bear':Woman in hunting stand has scary encounter with bear

More:A bear joined two hunters in a Mississippi deer stand. They had just eaten honeybuns.

For more information on black bears, visit bearwise.org.

Contact Brian Broom at bbroom@gannett.com or 601-961-7225.