A photographer was set up to capture grizzly bear footage along a river when one casually walked up and sat right next to him.
Drew Hamilton of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game was resting in a camping chair with his camera gear at the ready when he noticed the bear approaching him from behind. Hamilton was photographing bears at Alaska’s McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, an area home to the largest gathering of grizzly bears in the world. The grizzlies come together for the salmon run each year, and attract a significant amount of attention. That’s why the bears here — especially this particular individual — have become accustomed to humans, who regularly camp and sight-see in the area.
Bear sits next to photographer…! The bear strolled in as if visiting an old friend, yawned and planted himself right next to Hamilton. After a few moments, the bear gets up, understandably spooking Hamilton. When Hamilton holds his ground, the awe-inspiring beast wanders back off into the grassy field behind him.
Watch the full video below:
Just another day in Alaska!
Grizzly bears are powerful apex predators weighing up to 800 pounds, with some adult males standing up to 8 feet tall. Grizzlies inhabit parts of Canada and the northwestern United States, and are actually a subspecies of brown bear. They’re extremely intelligent, efficient hunters that can run as fast as 35 mph on land, so don’t bother trying to outrun one. They also boast a sense of smell better than a hound dog, and can detect carcasses up to 20 miles away.
Alaska’s McNeil River State Game Sanctuary stands as a living laboratory for studying one of the world’s largest seasonal congregations of these bears. The video below captures yet another sighting of this extraordinary seasonal marvel.
