A woman in Mexico shielded her son after a bear leaped on to a picnic table, inches from his face, and devoured the tacos and enchiladas meant for his birthday dinner.

Silvia Macías of Mexico City had travelled to the Chipinque Park on the outskirts of the northern city of Monterrey to celebrate the 15th birthday of her son, Santiago, who has Down’s syndrome.

Soon after they sat down to eat, the bear showed up and gulped down french fries, enchiladas, tacos and salsa. A video shot by her friend Angela Chapa shows Macías sitting stoically, inches from the bear’s mouth, holding Santiago and shielding his eyes with her hand. Macías kept her eyes downcast to avoid anything the bear might consider a challenge.