Oh what big claws you have!”
Coastal brown bears are such an amazing animal to see in the wild. These large omnivores spend most of their summers feeding on grasses, sedges and different berries that grow throughout Alaska. But once July comes around, millions of salmon flood into river systems of coastal Alaska, and these bears go on a fish eating extravaganza.
Observing different fishing habits of these bears shows immense individuality of each animal. Some go for a smash and grab, others patiently wait for salmon to swim underneath them and quickly go in for the grab, while others splash around in utter overwhelming confusion, sending hundreds of salmon swimming for their lives.
Coastal brown bears and grizzly bears are the same species, but brown bears are defined by having access to salmon runs. While grizzly tend to live more inland where food is more scattered and they are forced to travel further and be more protective of their food sources.
This bear fished in a river systems in Katmai National Park, I watched him for over 2 hours patiently wading through the meandering water, and every so often standing up to get a better look at where the hordes of salmon were swimming.
#bears #alaskawildlife #wildlifephotography #katmai #brownbears #naturephotography #salmon #animals
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