Nate Luebbe (@nateinthewild) was hiking in Katmai National Park, Alaska last July when he stumbled across a lone grizzly bear.
For context, Katmai is known for the iconic Brooks Falls, which is a popular feeding ground for grizzly bears.
There’s an estimated 2,200 bears living within the park.
It’s so popular in fact, that webcams run 24/7 throughout the summer for spectators to watch the beautiful bears feast on migrating salmon.
Watch as Luebbe hides behind a tree to give the animal plenty of space:
Sometimes I like to make new friends while hiking pic.twitter.com/4CQvFddcQQ
— Nateinthewild | Nate Luebbe (@nateinthewild) January 18, 2023
It probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it just in case- Luebbe is clearly joking when he says that he made friends with this grizzly.
The bears in Katmai National Park are accustomed to seeing humans on a regular basis, but that doesn’t make them necessarily safe to interact with.
Luebbe’s encounter was no doubt accidental. Nobody should ever deliberately try to get closer a grizzly bear, even in Katmai.
Kudos to Luebbe for acting responsible during his chance encounter.
Let this video be an example for what to do if you ever accidentally encounter a grizzly in Katmai, or elsewhere.
You don’t want to be like these drunk idiots who were later arrested for wading into Brooks Falls for selfies with the feasting bears.
Click here if you’re unfamiliar with that story.
