This is the dramatic moment a mother bear makes all the efforts to save her babies, after they got swept up and slipped off a waterfall. The heart-thumping scene unfolded at the Brooks Fallsin in Katmai National Park and Preserve – a very popular place for the Alaskan bears, especially during the salmon season. The moment was caught on by a live wildlife cam set up in the park.
Short video footage, later released by the Katmai Park, shows the kind of scene that every mother hopes would never happened. The mother bear was hoping to have some fresh salmon as dinner, but all of a sudden she was watching all her three babies getting swept up by the river’s strong currents. Within moments, the helpless cubs slipped off the waterfall. But the things were getting even worse, as the tiny bears were riding down the river.
Fortunately, the protective mom – known in the region as Grazer – rushes to save the day. Finally, she managed to bring all her offsprings to safety on the shore! You can watch the dramatic moment here:
Although bears are extremely familiar with water and fishing, they are not born with those skills, but have to practice them.
“Bears aren’t born knowing how to swim or negotiate the water,” Troy Hamon, chief of Resource Management and Science for Katmai National Park and Preserve, told National Geographic. “It’s a learned skill, and quite often we get to watch part of the learning process.”
On the other hand, Wayne Kasworm – wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Office – said the three cubs have never been in real danger, as there was no cases of drown bears – at least during his career. Nevertheless, he points that doesn’t mean it can’t happen, though.
“I do not doubt that in the spring of the year when cubs are small and rivers or creeks are high with meltwater, that cubs could be swept away and drown while the mother is crossing the river or creek,” Kasworm said.
When the salmon swims upstream, the Brooks Falls becomes a pretty busy place, with dozens of Grizzly bears gathering here to feast.
(h.t: mailonline|nationalgeographic)