Brown Bear Running Through River, Katmai
Katmai National Park and Preserve
A brown bear runs through shallow river water, paws kicking up spray, as it chases salmon in Katmai. Once a bear commits to a chase it moves a lot faster than its weight and shape suggest, covering ground through the shallows with surprising efficiency. Most attempts still miss, which is why a successful fishing bear will work a spot for hours. Katmai's river systems are the stage for one of the most accessible wild spectacles in North America. Bears, salmon, and eagles all compete for the same short pulse of energy running upstream every summer and fall. Brown bear fishing, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Ursus arctos. Photo © copyright by Carl Donohue.