Brown Bears Fight

Published in Smithsonian Exhibition Edition of Nature’s Best Photography Fall 2014 issue

The brown bear’s massive paw swooped down on the salmon within the depths of the rushing river. His mouth opened wide in anticipatory delight, only to be startled by an aggressive and greedy opponent trying to steal the meal. Failure. The fish escaped, leaving the two brazen brown bears to battle it out. Large claws flailed recklessly into the air and powerful jaws gnashed hungrily, attempting to devour bits of flesh from the other. The bears wrestled, like in a heavyweight champion fight. Mighty roars rocked the valley floor, echoing for miles around. It was a fight to the finish. Such a combat for food can often easily end in fatal injuries or maiming. In the wilderness, where energy cannot to be wasted, animals often risk all, for the sake of winning all. Roles can reverse so quickly, and an injured predator becomes prey, susceptible to death.

Coastal Brown Bear, Katmai National Park, Alaska, 2012

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 500mm F/4, f/5.6, 1/1250s, ISO 800, RRS tripod