National Park rangers have many responsibilities and if you work at Katmai National Park in Alaska, they include being a grizzly bear bouncer. The grizzly population is a actually a major attraction for visitors of Katmai who are encouraged to view them from a safe distance on the Brooks Falls viewing platform which overlooks a six-foot high waterfall that creates a temporary obstacle for salmon migrating upstream and veritable buffet for the hungry bears.
After a day of watching the grizzlies from a safe vantage point, visitors can retire to the nearby Brooks Lodge to relax in accommodations consisting of sixteen modern rooms. with modern private facilities.
However, sometimes those same bears who spent the day feasting in the river like to visit the lodge as well and ranger intervention is required. In rare instances bear spray is necessary to keep the grizzly at bay but usually issuing strong verbal commands and a bit of kicked dirt are enough get the apex predator to move along.
If you’re interested in checking what is happening at Brooks Falls in real-time you can. They have been live streaming since June 20th and thanks to the folks at Explore.org: