Largest land predators
Grizzly bears are among the world’s largest land predators. Weighing up to 770kgs and measuring more than five foot from paw to shoulder - and a formidable 10 foot when standing on their hind legs - they are also among the most powerful. This blog tells the story of an incredible encounter with these Alaskan bears and includes photographs of these bears and their cubs. Scroll down too to watch the film I made.
Getting up close
I’ve always wanted to get an insight into their behaviour, so, when I had the opportunity to travel to Alaska in 2019 to see them up close, I jumped at the chance. It was an adventure just getting to them. I flew across Alaska’s vast expanse of tundra, lakes and mountains to Iliamna Lake and from there took a sea plane to Katmai National Park. As the plane banked over the park, I could see at least 10 bears below.
Katmai National Park
Katmai National Park is grizzly bear central in summer. These animals converge on the park’s rivers in their hundreds to make the most of the annual salmon run. This is when red salmon, also known as sockeyes, an anglicization of the native American word, ‘suk-kegh’, return to their breeding grounds. These fish swim upstream from the Pacific Ocean in such huge numbers that, in places, the rivers turn pink with them.
Grizzlies feast on salmon
And as they swim, the bears arrive in their numbers to feast on this natural bounty. Salmon are rich in fats and calories and therefore a vital food source for these enormous animals. Just one fish provides around 4,500 calories, and they can eat over 20 a day. That’s a staggering 100,000 calories, 40 times what I eat!
Fattening up for winter hibernation
Triggered by hormonal changes that occur before their winter hibernation, the bears enter a phase of hyperphagia; which means they have an insatiable appetite but never feel full. This helps them to gorge, which is important because they need to build up their fat reserves before the next period of hibernation. Winters in Alaska are long and cold and the adult bears must at least double in weight to survive five months in hibernation.
Bear hunting techniques
Male grizzlies are bulkier and have wider heads than females. Watching them hunting, I noticed each animal had its own unique technique. Some stood in the middle of water falls or rapids and simply caught the salmon as they dove upstream, whilst others snatched fish from deeper waters, pinning them to the riverbed with their long shiny claws. One large male had a habit of holding its paw up just before he dashed into the water. After watching him do this several times, I learned to anticipate his next strike and was able to get ready to film him.
Mother bears work hard
Meanwhile there was one mother bear I watched who seemed to prefer standing on the edge of the water and pouncing from there. This female had a two-year-old cub and it was interesting to see how the youngster stood apart watching its mother intently. Soon this cub would have to fend for itself.
How to get close to grizzlies safely
The bears were so focussed on the salmon, it was possible to walk alongside them without fear of being attacked. I waded for six miles with my cameras, watching and photographing the action, and in that one day saw more than 50 bears. Wearing chest waders, the experience as I wandered the rivers and creeks spotting bear after bear was incredible. The prime places, where the salmon was most concentrated, were usually taken by the more dominant animals.
Dominant bears rule
It was interesting to see how the other bears gave these animals a wide berth. I sat for in the water for hours watching this hierarchical system unfold. Bears would automatically concede their positions when a more dominant bear appeared.
Splashed by a grizzly
At one point I was looking through my camera as a bear was chasing a salmon upstream towards me. I was wondering why my camera wouldn’t focus and then I opened my other eye, the one that wasn’t looking through the lens, to see that the bear was just a few metres away from me. It’s important not to approach a bear and to only watch from a distance, however this one had approached me. The bear, a female, dove for a fish right next to me, drenching me as she splashed into the river. She re-emerged without a fish, the water flowing off her long fur in ribbons. As she shook her head to dispel the water, she towered over me. It felt both daunting and exciting to be so close to such an iconic animal. And because my camera had not focussed, I’d been able to sit there and take in the enormity of the moment.
Safety in noise
It may seem counterintuitive to walk in a river alongside grizzly bears, but because they are busy feeding it is much safer to be there than in the dense vegetation that lines the riverbanks, where you could inadvertently disturb a sleeping bear, or worse still, get between a mother and her cubs. It’s amazing how camouflaged these huge animals can be against the dark grasses and shrubs.
Interestingly, unlike any of my other wildlife-watching experiences, it was important to actually make a noise as I approached so that I didn’t surprise the bears, since this could be dangerous. I took to calling out ‘Hey Bear!’ every few seconds as I walked along.
Gorging on salmon
The salmon were so abundant they often bumped into me as I crouched in the water. And with this much bounty, the bears could afford to be selective. I noticed they preferred female salmon to male, presumably due to their nutrient rich eggs. The bears also ate only the fattiest parts of the fish and discarded the rest, but thankfully there were plenty of gulls waiting in the wings, so nothing went to waste.
Protective mama bear
As I waded downstream, I come across a female bear with two cubs. Mother bears can have as many as four cubs, but two is the norm.Bear cubs are born in winter and these two were about eight months old. Cubs spend their first months tucked away in the den before emerging in spring, so this was the very first taste of an Alaskan summer for these two. It was beautiful to watch them exploring and playing. As they splashed in the water, tussling with sticks and tumbling over rocks, I was transfixed. Grizzly bear cubs spend their first two years with their mother, before setting off on their own, and these two still had a lot to learn.
Cubs are in danger from adult males
But they had mum to teach them and protect them from danger. As I watched them, the female spotted two male bears coming upstream. Males can be a threat to bear cubs since they sometimes kill the young to force the females into oestrus in order to ensure that only their own genes survive. In leaner times, they will also kill young bears for food. In spite of the abundance of salmon, the female was wary and called out to her cubs the moment she spotted the males advancing. It was fascinating to see how responsive the cubs were to their mother’s urgent calls. They instantly stopped playing and, looking anxiously about them before quickly fleeing to higher ground. Their mother stayed by the riverside, placing herself between the advancing danger and her cubs.
Hope to return to Alaska
But thankfully the two males did not approach. It seemed that they only had fish on their minds and before long the bear cubs could safely return. Mother bears work hard each summer to feed their new-born cubs. In their first year, these youngsters grow 10 times their spring weight.
It was a real privilege to spend time with the bears and I am already planning a return trip to Alaska. I can’t wait!A film I made about the grizzly bears I followed in Alaska is available to watch on my YouTube channel.
