![]() Winters in Alaska are long and cold and the adult bears must at least double in weight to survive five months in hibernation. This helps them to gorge, which is important because they need to build up their fat reserves before the next period of hibernation. Triggered by hormonal changes that occur before their winter hibernation, the bears enter a phase of hyperphagia which means they have an insatiable appetite but never feel full. That’s a staggering 100,000 calories, 40 times what I eat! Just one fish provides around 4,500 calories, and they can eat over 20 a day. Salmon are rich in fats and calories and therefore a vital food source for these enormous animals. ![]() These fish swim upstream from the Pacific Ocean in such huge numbers that, in places, the rivers turn pink with them.Īnd as they swim, the bears arrive in their numbers to feast on this natural bounty. This is when red salmon, also known as sockeyes, an anglicization of the native American word, ‘suk-kegh’, return to their breeding grounds. These animals converge on the park’s rivers in their hundreds to make the most of the annual salmon run. Katmai National Park is grizzly bear central in summer. As the plane banked over the park, I could see at least 10 bears below. I flew across Alaska’s vast expanse of tundra, lakes and mountains to Iliamna Lake and from there took a sea plane to Katmai National Park. It was an adventure just getting to them. I’ve always wanted to get an insight into their behaviour, so, when I had the opportunity to travel to Alaska in 2019 to see them up close, I jumped at the chance. Scroll down too to watch the film I made. This blog tells the story of an incredible encounter with these Alaskan bears and includes photographs of these bears and their cubs. Weighing up to 770kgs and measuring more than five foot from paw to shoulder – and a formidable 10 foot when standing on their hind legs – they are also among the most powerful. Grizzly bears are among the world’s largest land predators.
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