What would you do if a bear walked right up to you? This man chose to film it, with amazing results!
In between the months of June and August, brown bears gather at the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Alaska. It’s the largest congregation of its kind, and it happens for one simple reason: the bears arrive at the waterfalls in order to fish for their favorite salmon meal.
This annual event doesn’t get seen by many people, as the park isn’t openly accessible for most people, but a few guests are allowed in during this momentous event to watch, photograph, and take videos of the bear rendezvous. They must act carefully in order to allow the bears peace and not scare them.
One of the tech staff from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Drew Hamilton, was one of the lucky visitors who was able to get the chance to witness the get-together. He set up a camping chair and pointed his camera towards the river, where many bears were convening. But as he relaxed and watched the bears, another brown bear walked right up to where he was!
Drew knew he had to stay still and remain calm. Whipping out a device to record the situation with, he quietly filmed a video of the bear. The animal didn’t seem to mind Drew, and it was yawning, as though it had just woken up. The bear trudged sleepily and came to stand next to Drew, looking out over the river. Then, the beat sat himself down right there! It seemed to enjoy the peace and didn’t mind Drew’s company in the slightest.
Eventually, the bear began to walk off, nearly scaring Drew half to death in the process. It must have been terrifying for him, yet it’s also a somehow magical moment. We’re glad he caught it on camera!