Polar Bear standing upright in Arctic National Wildlife Alaska
Alaska
A Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) standing on hind feet, towers well over 8 feet tall. Male polar bears can be as high as 10 feet tall. Massive creatures. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR, Alaska.
A polar bear standing up on its hind legs is using its nose. Polar bears are nearsighted on the ground, so they stand to get a wider view and a better sample of the wind. The posture looks alarming if you haven't seen it before, but it's not aggression. Adult males can reach close to ten feet upright. The bear in this photo is a fully grown male on the Beaufort Sea coast in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, well over eight feet tall on his hind legs, doing exactly that. Smelling. Looking. Working out what we were.
This shot came out of several seasons working in ANWR. The bear was a few hundred yards out, and we held that distance. Around polar bears, that's non-negotiable. If you're working on your own wildlife photography and want some specifics on field craft and ethics around approaching animals, there's a longer piece on the Expeditions Alaska site: Wildlife Photography Tips and Techniques. Gear, approach, what to do when light or weather aren't cooperating. Photo © copyright by Carl Donohue.