Two bears clashed early this morning at Katmai National Park and Preserve, resulting in one bear eventually overpowering and killing the other. The attack was caught live on one of the famous Bear Cams, and park staff were alerted to the incident via vigilant Bear Cam followers.
Katmai, along with Explore.org, which runs the Bear Cams, have decided to postpone the Fat Bear Week bracket announcement because of the incident. The bracket will now be announced Tuesday night, organizers said. Fat Bear Week will still take place as scheduled from Wednesday through Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Three staff members at Katmai and Explore.org—Mike Fritz, Sarah Bruce and Naomi Boak— reviewed the footage and answered questions online for an hour today.
The footage shows two bears, later identified as Bear 469 and Bear 402, swimming in the southern end of Naknet Lake by the mouth of Brooks River.
It’s unclear how or why the fight began, but the brutal exchange lasted over 20 minutes and resulted in 469 killing 402. The entire fight occurred in the water, and the experts believe the cause of death was ultimately drowning rather than a physical trauma or wound.
Remembering 402
Park staff and Bear Cam fans are all mourning the lose of 402. Bruce, a ranger at Katmai, expressed that while she typically has a personal rule to not choose “favorites” with the bears, she has always had a special place in her heart for 402.
402 has been a regular on the Bear Cams since 2009. Viewers and visitors have watched her mother eight litters throughout her time at Brooks River.
Boak emphasized the importance of not “anthropomorphizing the bears.” Bears are wild animals and behave as such. Although it’s difficult to watch a bear like 402 be killed, Boak encouraged viewers to remember that this is the bears’ way of life.
Shortly after killing 402, 469 dragged the body to shore. He was quickly ousted off the food cache by Bear 32, arguably one of the most dominant bears on the river, according to Bruce.
#BeBearAware
During this time of year, bears are in a state of hyperphagia, where they are desperate to eat as much food as possible. While it’s uncommon to see a bear attack and kill another bear, it’s not outside the realm of possibility, according to Fitz, resident naturalist for explore.org.
The entire area around the location of 402’s remains has been marked as off limits to all visitors and staff, as a bear that’s guarding a food cache can be extremely aggressive.
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