KATMAI NATIONAL PARK, Alaska – Katmai Nationwide Park is a sizzling location for brown bear watching. Sadly which means it additionally attracts plenty of dumb individuals who suppose they will get near brown bears. The man on this video is certainly one of three who determined to wade into the river for a close-up selfie. Whereas the bears have been fairly uninterested within the folks, the courts weren’t, and all three have been sentenced to a number of days in jail and ordered to pay a $3,000 high-quality.
The video was captured off Katmai Nationwide Park’s Discover.org bear cams. There are round 2,200 brown bears inside Katmai Nationwide Park, with the Brooks Camp location marking the preferred spot for these hoping to see these animals in particular person.
To be clear, the bears inside Katmai Nationwide Park brown/grizzly bears. In response to the Nationwide Park Service, brown and grizzly bears are the identical animals, they’re simply referred to otherwise primarily based on the place they stay. The bears that stay on the coast of Alaska are referred to as brown bears, whereas the bears residing inland with restricted or no entry to marine meals sources are known as grizzly bears. Brown bears are sometimes bigger, because of their entry to marine-derived meals.
Katmai Nationwide Park on Bear Security within the park:
“Keep not less than 50 yards (48 meters) from any bear always. Approaching any giant mammal inside 50 yards and remaining inside 50 yards of a bear utilizing a concentrated meals supply is prohibited. Brooks Camp is a singular scenario the place bears are sometimes given the right-of-way. Inside Katmai, bears are much less doubtless present curiosity or defensiveness in direction of folks once we keep distances higher than 50 yards.
When touring, keep away from shocking bears and make your presence identified. It’s best to speak and journey in teams. Alerting bears together with your voice could be particularly essential the place visibility is proscribed. Keep in mind, nonetheless, that you’re not making noise to scare bears away, solely to alert them to your presence. As soon as a bear identifies you as a human, making loud noises could agitate the animal.
By no means run from any bear. Throughout an in depth encounter, communicate to the bear in a relaxed voice and again away from the bear till it resumes regular actions like resting, touring, or feeding.”
