Brown Bear Crossing Meadow Toward Camera, Katmai
Katmai National Park and Preserve
A brown bear walks across an open meadow directly toward the camera in Katmai. The sedge meadows around Katmai's coastal lagoons are where the bears emerge from den in spring and feed through the early summer before salmon arrive. A bear walking straight across that open ground in full view is the kind of moment the coastal side of the park is known for. Approach distances at Katmai are enforced by park policy and by the bears themselves; these photos come from maintaining position, letting the animals dictate the encounter, and using longer glass. Brown bear, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Ursus arctos. Photo © copyright by Carl Donohue.