The bear cams can be brutal.
The livestreaming explore.org webcams along Katmai National Park's salmon-packed Brooks River captured a violent fight between two big male brown bears last week, just before the long holiday weekend. The clash underscores the competitiveness, and harshness, of the bear world.
"This was a particularly intense fight, one that we rarely see," said Mike Fitz, a former park ranger at Katmai National Park and currently a resident naturalist for explore.org.
In this fight, dominant bear 747 -- who grows to be either the fattest or one of the fattest bear cam bears each summer -- fought with bear 68, another large adult male bear. Each wanted position in a prime fishing spot -- but there was only room for one bear. Typically, bears avoid physical altercations, likely to avoid injury. Instead, the large mammals use imposing postures and vocalizations to settle a dispute, and exert dominance over another bear.
"As we saw though, not all conflicts between bears can be resolved in those ways," said Fitz. "With neither bear willing to back down something had to give."
In the fight above, which lasts about a minute, bear 68 eventually holds bear 747 down in the water. Bear 747, with fresh claw marks and a bleeding mouth, yields to bear 68, the victor.
"This was an uncommon instance where bears couldn't settle their dispute without fighting," explained Fitz. "To me, it highlights that they live in a tough, competitive environment with limited resources. 68's move to fight 747 was bold and risky."
Although the bear cams are often a summer and fall delight, the bear world is notoriously ruthless. Cubs only have about a one in three chance of surviving to adulthood. Well-known bears get killed by other bears, and dominant males -- for reasons only speculated about -- seek out and kill young cubs.
Following the fight, Fitz observed that bear 747 eventually returned to the waterfall to resume fishing -- as if nothing violent had just happened. These bears can absorb physical punishment. But it's unlikely bear 747 will again fish near bear 68, or challenge bear 68 for a prime fishing spot.
"Since 68 defeated 747, he established his dominance and will not likely face a significant challenge from 747 again in the near future or perhaps ever," noted Fitz.
Topics Animals
