Last week we shared footage of a brown bear bellyflopping after leaping from a waterfall at Brooks Falls in Alaska.
This week a different bear lost its footing at the same location, in Katmai National Park, while trying to intercept sockeye salmon as they forged upriver toward spawning grounds.
As the bear slid down the waterfall, a salmon leaped over its head. The bear would be compelled to reposition itself and try again.
If you can’t achieve balance, fail forward. pic.twitter.com/NYwCTQRTcF
— explore.org (@exploreorg) July 5, 2022
Both clips were tweeted by Explore.org, which operates live nature cameras on the Brooks River, where brown bears gorge on salmon and compete for prime fishing spots.
The accompanying footage shows that no matter where a bear might position itself, catching salmon can be difficult.
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However, some bears are prolific catchers and the more dominant bears may consume more than 30 salmon per day.
Considering that one sockeye salmon packs 4,500 calories, it’s no wonder that the largest brown bears in Katmai National Park will weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds come hibernation season.
“Survival depends on eating a year’s worth of food in six months,” the park states on its website.
BearCam viewers can watch the animals bulk up as the feeding season progresses. In the fall, the public can vote during Fat Bear Week, a March Madness-style competition that 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.
