In the wilds of Katmai, Alaska, a young mother bear bravely defended her cubs from a huge male grizzly in some wild footage recently caught on camera.
This intense encounter, captured on video by wildlife guide Brad Josephs, showcases the fierce protective instinct of a mother bear.
The video begins with a large male bear approaching a highpoint, where the smaller mother bear stands with her two cubs.
Despite being 300 to 400 pounds lighter, she meets the male’s charge head-on. The clash is immediate and fierce, with the male attacking while the cubs try to escape. One cub tumbles down the slope, and the other runs away.
Juvenile bears tend to be less aggressive than adults, but females are at their most aggressive when protecting their cubs.
Watch the encounter in the video below:
“Oh, there go the cubs. The cubs just fell,” a voice behind the camera exclaims as the bears bite and grapple, eventually sliding down the hill together. Despite the chaos, the mother bear doesn’t let go, fighting with all her might to protect her young.
In a follow-up video, Josephs confirms that the mother bear and her cubs are safe. He later saw the male bear still in the area, likely nursing his wounds from the encounter.
This dramatic footage highlights the raw, unyielding spirit of wildlife in Alaska, where these incredible bears continue to thrive in a changing world.
