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5d ago

Two Grizzly Cubs Killed at Katmai’s Brooks River, One Caught on Live Stream

Rangers say a surge in bear and cub numbers tied to recent salmon-run dynamics has concentrated animals at Brooks Falls and raised aggressive encounters.

FILE: A family of brown bears walks along the beach of Brooks Camp near Bristol Bay, Alaska.
FILE: A brown bear stands on an area of Brooks Camp known as the “Spit,” near Bristol Bay, Alaska.
FILE: A brown bear fishes the lower Brooks River in Bristol Bay, Alaska.
FILE: A brown bear chases off a younger bear while defending its fishing spot at Brooks Falls, Alaska. 

Overview

  • Park staff confirmed that an adult female killed and ate a cub on July 28 and that a second cub — one of Bear 335’s triplets — was fatally attacked on August 2.
  • The July 28 killing was recorded on Explore.org’s Brooks River live cameras and is described by naturalists as the first infanticide documented at that stretch of river.
  • Rangers and naturalists link the back-to-back deaths to unusually high bear and cub density this summer, a result of last year’s strong salmon run producing larger litters and this year’s more concentrated fishing at Brooks Falls.
  • The National Park Service said it will not intervene in wildlife injuries or deaths unless humans are involved, but staff removed the second cub’s carcass to reduce the risk of dangerous encounters with people and other bears.
  • Park staff noted typical spring cub survival at Brooks River runs roughly 33 to 50 percent, urged livestream viewers to understand natural behavior, and warned that crowded conditions could produce more conflicts to watch for this season.