Tag: brown bears

Famous bruin ‘Shower Bear’ reveals distinctive fishing method

Footage captured this week on Alaska’s Brooks River shows why a famous brown bear has earned the nickname “Shower Bear.”

Fans of the Exlore.org Bear Cams that feature brown bears feeding in Alaska’s Brooks River are celebrating the return of Bear 164, aka Bucky Dent or Shower Bear.

The accompanying footage shows the adult male bear’s distinctive fishing method, which involves standing under the lip of Brooks Falls with his head submerged and watching for migrating salmon falling backward after failing to leap over the lip.

“Bear 164 – Shower Bear also known as Bucky Dent has returned to Brooks!” Explore.org. announced Thursday via social media.

Brooks River, in Katmai National Park, is home to the stars of Fat Bear Week, a fan-driven competition conducted each fall to celebrate the bears’ success in fattening up in advance of the winter hibernation season.

Bear 164 is nicknamed Bucky Dent – after the former Major League Baseball star – because of the dark, vertical indentation on his upper snout, or muzzle.

It’s not clear if he’s shown catching a fish in the accompanying clip, because he’s mostly submerged, but he apparently was successful Wednesday night.

Reads one comment: “His technique pays off for sure! Was cracking up last night when he was catching them back to back.”

Watch: Momma bear to rescue after cub tumbles down waterfall

A live web-cam has captured dramatic footage showing a brown bear rushing to rescue her yearling cub after it tumbled over a waterfall in Alaska.

A live web-cam has captured dramatic footage showing a brown bear rushing to rescue her yearling cub after it tumbled over a waterfall in Alaska.

The footage, captured by Explore.org’s Bear Cam at Brooks Falls, shows the cub slip past mom at the top of the falls.

The footage continues with mom realizing that her cub was being swept downstream and charging across the water to end threats posed by nearby bears.

Comments beneath the post mostly pertained to the speed with which momma bear was able to reach her cub.

“For anyone who ever foolishly through they could outrun a bear…yeah…no,” one comment reads.

RELATED: Massive relief as ‘King Otis’ the brown bear is alive and well

Another: “Poor mom looks really stressed out from this one. All that huffing. And the way she keeps looking at the bear who just happened to be closest.”

Mom is cataloged as Bear 402. She’s one of dozens of brown bears that spend the summer feeding in the Brooks River in Katmai National Park.

Brooks Falls is one of the prime fishing spots and dominant bears position themselves atop or just below the falls to catch migrating sockeye salmon.

Explore.org has live-feed cameras positioned on the river so the public can watch the bears feed and interact.

Brown bears in Katmai National Park are among the largest bears on the planet, with some exceeding 1,000 pounds by season’s end. (Larger bears might eat as many as 40 salmon per day.)

The bears are the stars of Fat Bear Week, a fan-driven competition conducted each fall to determine which bear took the fullest advantage of feeding season.

The reigning champion is Bear 747, aka Bear Force One.

Massive relief as ‘King Otis’ the brown bear is alive and well

Fans of the world-famous brown bears on Alaska’s Brooks River are breathing a sigh of relief as their beloved Otis is alive and seemingly well.

Fans of the world-famous brown bears on Alaska’s Brooks River are breathing a sigh of relief as their beloved Otis is alive and seemingly well.

“REJOICE!! KING OTIS HAS RETURNED!” Explore.org, which maintains live camera feeds on the river, exclaimed Wednesday after Otis appeared on camera for the first time since last fall.

Otis is an older bear and arguably the most famous brown bear on the planet, a four-time Fat Bear Week champion, known for his fishing exploits at his favorite spot, “the office” at Brooks Falls.

Because of his age – late 20s, well past normal longevity – and his tardiness this summer, fans had become concerned about his well-being.

But on Wednesday, Otis, looking a bit scraggly after what appears to have been a marathon hibernation, was spotted fishing (and catching) as though it were just another day.

ALSO: Catch of giant tarpon off Florida sparks controversy

“My kind of bear… sleeps late, keeps everyone guessing, makes a grand entrance,” reads a comment beneath a Katmai National Park – Brooks Falls Facebook post.

The Brooks River is in Katmai National Park. Brown bears arrive on the river when sockeye salmon begin running upstream in late June.

Most of the popular bruins, including reigning Fat Bear Week champion Bear 747, aka Bear Force One, have been spotted routinely during the past several weeks.

Some have new cubs, born during hibernation. Larger bears have battled over fishing rights. Bear antics have been showcased daily on camera feeds watched by thousands.

But for many, thoughts were on Otis. Was this going to be the year he did not make it back to the river? Would he be seen again?

Now Otis aficionados are already taking about his chances of claiming a fifth Fat Bear Week title.

“He looked worse two years ago and won fat bear,” one commenter correctly observed.

Stated another: “Since he’s very old, just the fact he’s back is fantastic! Give him time. He’s a zen master when fishing. Expending as little energy possible and reaping the benefits.”

Fat Bear Week, a fan-driven competition held each October, is billed as a celebration of the bears’ success in fattening up in preparation for another long, harsh winter.

Brooks River brown bears break out all the moves to catch salmon

With the fishing season underway for brown bears on Alaska’s Brooks River, the National Park Service has provided a humorous description of the catching techniques.

An Alaskan brown bear named Grazer was caught on a live-cam feed recently catching a salmon that had attempted to leap over the lip of Brooks Falls.

“The crowd goes wild! Grazer lands the very first Brooks Falls lip catch of the season,” Explore.org stated via Twitter.

To be sure, bears on the Brooks River in Katmai National Park are masters at fishing, and each seems to favor certain areas and techniques.

With the season getting underway – fans can watch the bears on Explore’s live feeds – the National Park Service has described the techniques via Facebook under the heading:

“How do you catch a fish without a fishing pole? With your bear hands.”

Viewers can click on the post or view the humorous explanations below:

–The Stand and Wait: Bears stand on top the falls and wait for salmon to jump close enough to catch. Bears sometimes slip on the falls (usually when someone is looking) so they rarely shift position.⁣ Sometimes they misjudge and the fish hits the bear in the face. (Insert own metaphor for life).

–The Sit and Wait: Similar to the first one but sitting. Bears sit underneath Brooks Falls in the plunge pool or “jacuzzi,” and wait for salmon to swim to them.”

RELATED: ‘Dominant’ brown bears brawl over fishing rights at Brooks Falls

–The Dash and Grab: Bears chase the fish and attempt to pin them to the river bottom with their paws. ⁣⁣Fast-food on the go!
⁣⁣⁣
–The Snorkeler: Bears look for fish under the water while seeing who can make the most bubbles. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣
–The Diver: Some bears avoid getting their ears wet, so diving is not for every bear. However there are some that will submerge themselves completely underwater to obtain food resources. You do what you got to do. ⁣
⁣⁣⁣
–The Pirate: Arrgggg! It’s Cap’n Bruin Brownbeard the Hungry! Pirating bears plunder already caught fish from other bears. ⁣Keep an eye on the horizon. Avast ye scurvy bear! I’ve come for the fishes!
⁣⁣⁣
–The Sharer: Bears do not usually share food with others (bearing is NOT sharing), but some will share the spoils. (Not the Cap’n) This interaction occurs between bears that are highly tolerant of each other. ⁣BFFs (bear fish friends!)

– The Belly Flop: A big splash requires big bear air, as the bear springs up out of the water or launches off the side to take a fish by surprise. This can be extremely successful or, well, a flop.”

The top image, highlighting the belly flop, was captured by M. Bradburn for the National Park Service.

‘Dominant’ brown bears brawl over fishing rights at Brooks Falls

Brown bears Walker and Bear 856 were caught on video brawling for fishing rights near Brooks Falls in Alaska’s Katmai National Park.

Brown bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park have arrived on the Brooks River and early season competition for prime feeding areas can be contentious.

The accompanying footage shows adult males Walker and Bear 856 sparring briefly before pausing in a skirmish seemingly won by the larger Bear 856.

Explore.org, which maintains cameras on the Brooks River, stated Sunday via Twitter:

“Brooks Falls heated up last night as two dominant forces went head to head. No serious injuries reported.”

Brown bears at Brooks Falls are famous because of live-cam feeds that allow followers to observe the animals as they fish for sockeye salmon and pack thousands of calories per day.

(Bears that weigh between 700 and 900 pounds in mid-summer can weigh more than 1,200 pounds by early fall.)

Fat Bear Week, held in October, allows fans to vote for their favorite bears in a bracket-style competition. Last year’s winner was Bear 747, a.k.a. Bear Force One, who weighed an estimated 1,400 pounds.

As for Walker, Explore states on its website:

“Walker remained a tolerant and playful bear during his young adult years. He allowed other bears to approach him, and he sought sparring partners for prolonged play fights. However, his priorities have changed as he matured into a fully grown adult.

“With his large body size and assertive disposition, Walker is one the river’s most dominant bears.”

Some background on Bear 856:

“Bear 856 was classified as a young adult in 2006. At the time he had a relatively small body compared to older adults. By his tenth or eleventh year of life, however, he became one of the biggest bears at the river with an assertive disposition equal to his size.”

Fat Bear Week is billed as “a celebration of success” for all of the region’s bears after another bountiful feeding season.

Bears decorate tree in a manner befitting the holidays

An image showing brown bears positioned like Christmas decorations in a towering pine was shared last week by a wildlife-viewing facility in Transylvania.

An image showing brown bears positioned like Christmas decorations in a towering pine was shared last week by a wildlife-viewing facility in Transylvania.

“Pine ornaments for sale,” the company, Bear Watching in Transylvania, joked on Facebook.

The image reveals that bears in the region are prolific climbers. In this instance, their faces peering toward the camera from different spots in the branches make them appear as adorable decorations.

The Facebook post inspired dozens of comments in Hungarian language, such as, “How cute they are! Such a rare moment!”

The image was subsequently uploaded to a Facebook page that features the brown bears of Alaska’s Katmai National Park, and inspired more silly and amusing comments, such as “Don’t forget the tinsel” and “Best decorations ever.”

Bear Watching in Transylvania boasts guaranteed sightings from designated sites during “wildlife-watching” programs that last 1-2 hours.

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Watch: Bear cubs mesmerized as giant moose charges through river

For three bear cubs on Alaska’s Brooks River, the sight of a giant moose bounding past them might still be etched upon their minds.

For three bear cubs on Alaska’s Brooks River, the sight of a giant moose bounding past might still be etched upon their minds.

The accompanying footage, captured over the weekend via bear cam, shows the cub triplets seemingly mesmerized – possibly terrified – by a bull moose galloping through water just yards away.

Momma bear does not appear in the footage, but she’s probably nearby. Adult brown bears, fishing for salmon elsewhere on the river, are visible in the background.

It’s unclear what prompted the moose to run through the river.

Explore.org, which maintains the bear cams in conjunction with the National Park Service, asked avid bear-cam followers if the cubs might belong to an adult brown bear cataloged as Bear 94.

ALSO: Watch as massive ‘alien’ sunfish gets a helping hand from boat crew

Brown bears on the Brooks River, in Katmai National Park, are internationally famous thanks to the bear cams and the annual bracket-style competition known as Fat Bear Week.

Fat Bear Week, during which fans vote for their favorite and fattest bears, is held every fall as a tribute to bears’ success in packing calories in advance of hibernation. (A single salmon may contain 4,000 calories and some bears consume dozens of salmon per day.)

This year’s competition is Oct. 5-11 and an older bear nicknamed Otis is the defending champion. Voting for the Fat Bear Junior Finals ended last week, with Bear 94’s triplets losing out to the yearling cub of Bear 909.

Surprise visitor appears on BearCam, reveals fishing expertise

Footage from a live BearCam on Alaska’s Brooks River shows a wolf fishing at twilight and catching a salmon.

Brown bears on Alaska’s Brooks River dominate the fishing holes during the sockeye salmon run, but that doesn’t mean they catch all the fish.

The accompanying footage, captured by a Bear Cam operated by Explore.org, shows a wolf searching for and ultimately catching a salmon at twilight. (Both clips are posted below.)

Explore.org described the footage on Twitter: “Close-up of a wolf in infrared on the river bank as it scans the water for fish. He hops into the water when he sees movement.”

ALSO: Watch as massive sea creature startles family on Mexican beach 

Another tweet: “If you’re wondering whether our wolf friend caught a fish – yes, yes he did!”

The Brooks River is in Katmai National Park. In the summer and fall, brown bears gather on the rover and at Brooks Falls to catch salmon as they navigate upriver to spawn in Brooks Lake.

Explore.org operates a series of live cameras on the river in conjunction with the National Park Service.

Watch: Huge bear lands perfect bellyflop at waterfall

After plotting its move for several seconds, a brown bear on Alaska’s Brooks River leaped from the top of a waterfall and landed a perfect bellyflop.

After plotting its move for several seconds, a brown bear on Alaska’s Brooks River leaped from the top of a waterfall and performed a masterful bellyflop.

The accompanying footage, shared by the Department of the Interior, was captured recently by the popular Explore.org live bear camera at Brooks Falls.

“BearCam is back for the season,” the Department of Interior boasted via Instagram. “Watch Alaska brown bears fish (and jump) for salmon live at Katmai National Park. Every year, they congregate to feast on sockeye salmon in the Brooks River.”

The bears, which recently emerged from hibernation, are internationally famous, in large part because the BearCam allows followers to view their fishing prowess and amusing antics.

RELATED: Fat Bear Week appears to have an early frontrunner in ‘Bear Force One’

But the bears are also renowned because of Fat Bear Week, a fan-driven March Madness-style competition during the fall, which serves as “an annual celebration of [feeding] success.”

Last year’s winner was an older bear named Otis, a four-time Fat Bear Week champion.

Three men sentenced to jail and fined for wading with bears

Three men pleaded guilty to what an Alaskan judge described as “drunken capering” at the famous Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park.

Three men who left the safety of a viewing platform to wade into the river to photograph brown bears at the famous Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park in Alaska were sentenced to jail and each fined $3,000.

“These individuals behaved carelessly and put themselves at great risk,” Mark Sturm, superintendent of Katmai National Park and Preserve, stated in a press release. “Brown bears are fierce, territorial predators, especially when concentrated in order to feed on migrating salmon. Things could have easily ended very badly.”

Brooks Falls is located on the Brooks River and is a popular summer destination to view salmon leaping over the 6-foot falls as bears congregate and feed on them, sometimes catching the salmon in mid-air.

A viewing platform at the falls was built in 1982 to provide separation between people and bears, and visitors are instructed by the National Park Service to remain in designated viewing areas.

On Aug. 9, 2018, David Engelman, 56, of Sandia Park, New Mexico, and Ronald J. Engelman II, 54, and Steven Thomas, 30, both of King Salmon, Alaska, decided to leave the platform and wade into the river to get photos. David Engelman was seen on the livestream camera taking selfies of himself in front of the feeding brown bears.

The three pleaded guilty to their illegal actions and their punishment was announced Monday by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Wildlife officers face criticism over citation for 71 lobster tails

David and Ronald Engelman each received a one-week prison sentence and one-year probation. Thomas was sentenced to 10 days in prison and one-year probation.

The $9,000 in fines were directed to be paid to the Katmai Conservancy, a nonprofit that will administer the funds to the park for law enforcement and other purposes.

Also, the three are prohibited from entering any national park for one year.

From the DOJ:

In imposing the sentences, Magistrate Judge Scoble stated concerns of deterring others, the economic impact of tourism to Katmai National Park if someone had been injured or a bear killed for injuring one of the men. The court also noted the dangerousness of their conduct as well as the impact on those who witnessed the actions of the defendants and had their experiences in the park ruined by their actions. Magistrate Judge Scoble characterized the defendants’ actions as “drunken capering, and a slap in the face to those who were there.”

“The conduct of these three individuals not only endangered other visitors and wildlife officers at Brooks Falls, they also potentially endangered the life of the bears.” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “We are committed to working with Alaska’s National Park Service to ensure everyone who visits our parks can have a safe experience in seeing these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.”

Photo of David Engelman wading in the river, and generic photos of the viewing platform and bears in the river at Brooks Falls courtesy of the National Park Service.