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Grizzly Bear Viewing
Posted in Cheetah, Grizzly bears and people with tags Alaska, animals, bears, grizzly bear, wildlife on November 8, 2011 by grizzlybearblog
My husband John and I settle down in the grass to rest with our favorite grizzly bear “Cheetah” after she chose to approach us closely.
Grizzly Bear Cub Photo
Posted in Grizzly Bear Cubs with tags Alaska, bear cub, brown bear, grizzly bear, grizzly bear cub on September 23, 2011 by grizzlybearblog
A grizzly bear cub munches on sedge grass in Katmai National Park.
Grizzly Bear Fishing
Posted in Grizzly Bears Fishing with tags Alaska, animals, brown bear, grizzly bear, Katmai National Park on September 22, 2011 by grizzlybearblog
A large, male grizzly used an interesting “splashing” method to fish for salmon. He would leap in the air and land in a big belly flop. The force of his body created a huge splash which on several occasions pulled a handful of salmon up to the surface of the water.
Grizzly Bear Passing By
Posted in Male grizzlies with tags Alaska, animals, bears, brown bear, grizzly bear, mammals on August 5, 2011 by grizzlybearblog
This grizzly male passed right by us after he had wrestled with a friend for a while.
He’s walking through the tall grass that borders the beach. The bears don’t eat this grass, but it does make for a good day bed or cozy place to hide. One day walking back to camp I noticed a pair of brown fuzzy teddy bear ears peeking over the tall beach grass. A few moments later, a set of liquid brown eyes popped above the grass to peek at me. He quickly popped back down deciding to stay hidden. I was always really careful when walking through the tall grass to avoid surprising a hidden bear.
Blonde Grizzly Bear Photo
Posted in Cheetah, Grizzly Bear Physiology with tags Alaska, animals, bears, brown bear, brown bears, grizzly bear on August 4, 2011 by grizzlybearblog
This is a photo of the bear we named “Cheetah” on the first day I met her. (We were to become good friends). When her fur is dry, she is one of the lightest colored grizzly bears I’ve ever seen. Cheetah walked up to us, curious but never ever aggressive. She was a grizzly who was very comfortable around people, but quite cranky around other bears. Her large size and attitude allowed her to bully other bears who invaded her personal space.
Photo of Grizzly Bear Male
Posted in Male grizzlies with tags Alaska, animals, bears, grizzly bear, wildlife on August 2, 2011 by grizzlybearblog
Here’s a couple more photos of my grizzly bear buddy “Charlie”.
You can really see how tall he is when he stoops down to bite on sedge grass. Although certainly not the largest male grizzly bear I’ve seen, he was one of the largest on the Katmai Coast during one of our camping trips. I always bolted to sit near him if I saw “Hopper”, the much smaller bear who had bluff charged us. One afternoon Charlie was taking a nap, surrounded by eight or nine grazing female bears. When he woke up, and started to walk, every single bear scattered and ran away quickly. In this photo, he is actually grazing near several females who were comfortable in his presence.
Brown Bear Photo
Posted in Male grizzlies with tags Alaska, animals, bears, brown bear, grizzly bear on July 30, 2011 by grizzlybearblog
Here’s a photo of “Hopper” the problem male we encountered one summer. He really didn’t like people, and made his sentiments quite clear by hopping at us, or bluff charging us a few times. All that was needed to get him to back off was clapping our hands, and shouting “no” while stepping towards him. As soon as we stepped towards him – a sign of dominance – he relaxed and stopped bothering us.
He was the only bear that has ever bluff charged us, and it is a good reminder to always carry safety equipment when out with grizzly bears. Bears are all individuals, with the potential to harm a human. Although most grizzlies in Katmai ignore humans, you must carry protection in case you encounter a rare individual who does not like humans. We always carry hand held marine flares to scare off a bear. We always camp behind an electric fence, and I also pack bear spray, and bear bangers which is a device to make a really loud noise. Flares are the best choice however.
Grizzly Bear Cubs Photos
Posted in Grizzly Bear Cubs with tags Alaska, animals, bear cubs, bears, grizzly bear, grizzly bears, wildi\e, wildlife on July 20, 2011 by grizzlybearblog
I watched an interesting scene with grizzly bear cubs unfolding at the lower falls at Brooks Falls in Katmai. This little grizzly cub ran up a tree in fright when he saw a grizzly mom with two other cubs approach. This cub was with his two much larger siblings, and he was clearly the runt of the litter. Although grizzlies are not known for climbing trees, cubs are small enough to clamber up trees for safety. He was so scared, he pooped all over himself!
I was impressed with how his larger siblings stood at the base of the tree snarling and growling to defend the little runt. Their mother, who was out fishing in the river, seemed unconcerned with the approaching grizzly mom and left the cubs to defend themselves. Eventually, the second mom went in the river to fish, leaving the yearling cubs to work it all out on their own. Both sets of cubs growled at each other for a while, but eventually just settled down to wait for a fish from their mom.
Male Grizzly Bear Photo
Posted in Male grizzlies with tags Alaska, animals, brown bear, grizzly bear, photos on July 16, 2011 by grizzlybearblog
This is a pretty good photo of the grizzly bear we called “Charlie”. He was one of the largest males we were around one summer, and we used him as a safety zone after we encountered an aggressive bear we called “Hopper”. Hopper bluff charged us several times. He was a cranky, medium size male bear who really did not like people. Who could blame him, he had probably been shot at in his life.
After Hopper bluff charged us one afternoon, we walked as fast as we could over to Charlie, because smaller bears will usually avoid the hugest males. The trick worked because Hopper did not follow us. After a while, Charlie wandered towards Hopper just looking for fresh grass to eat. When Hopper saw him approach, he ran away as fast as his legs would carry him. I usually felt the most comfortable around the largest of the male grizzlies. They are so confident in their spot at the top of the food chain that they can’t be bothered by a tiny, insignificant human nearby.