Whenever you make a trip to a national park, you never know what you may encounter.
Of course, you’ll see your fair share of gorgeous scenery, or maybe catch a bison or elk crossing the road as you drive through the park.
However, the last thing you’d probably want to run into (or maybe you would if you’re a thrill seeker) is a MASSIVE bear. I mean come on, although bears are typically afraid of human interactions, they’ve been known to attack if they feel threatened enough.
Places like Yellowstone National Park, Smoky Mountain National Park, the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree and more all garner millions of visitors every year, but if you wanna see some giant bears, look no further than Alaska’s Katmai National Park.
Wildlife photographer Brad Josephs recently documented a wild encounter with one of the biggest bears I’ve ever seen caught on video at Katmai National Park and Preserve in southern Alaska. Not to mention, it’s pouring down rain, making the bear look way more intimidating than it already is.
In the video, Josephs captures the ginormous bear by a stream. The bear jumps in, and begins to hunt for fish, ripping a few out of the stream while it’s at it.
As Josephs points out in the video, the current from the stream is incredibly strong, but due to the insane mass from the bear, it doesn’t even budge. Male brown bears in this part of Alaska can weigh up to 1,300 pounds, and needless to say, this son of a gun is breaking the 1,000 mark.
The video, taken a few weeks back, has since garnered over 5 million views on various social media platforms combined.
“Two of my favorite moments from today while guiding bear viewing expedition for Natural Habitat Adventures on the Katmai coast. Rainy and humbling, and magical.”
Check it out:
Josephs also explained how they’re able to get so close to these bears, even small cubs, without an aggressive reaction from mom:
“While sitting on a gravel bar in Alaska, we get a visit from a curious 7 month old cub. In this region, where bears are not hunted and do not fear people, we have learned after 30 years how to share the space without any violent confrontation.”
