Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?
July 8, 2014 11:29 PM Subscribe
I see the internet looking at me. Just like last year and the year before, you can once again stare at bears staring at water as they wait for salmon to swim upstream in Katmai National Park.
With sunrise before 5:30AM and darkness not hitting until midnight, that's enough bear feeds to entertain MeFites in every time zone.
Still want more? The Awl has an interview with Katmai National Park's Chief of Interpretation, Roy Wood, who helps run the cams and sometimes answers the internet's pressing bear questions. And if you missed last year's mama bear protecting her three cubs at Brooks Falls, you can catch it here.
With sunrise before 5:30AM and darkness not hitting until midnight, that's enough bear feeds to entertain MeFites in every time zone.
Still want more? The Awl has an interview with Katmai National Park's Chief of Interpretation, Roy Wood, who helps run the cams and sometimes answers the internet's pressing bear questions. And if you missed last year's mama bear protecting her three cubs at Brooks Falls, you can catch it here.
I'm not seeing a lot of fish so far....
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 11:49 PM on July 8, 2014
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 11:49 PM on July 8, 2014
I'm not seeing a lot of fish so far....
Yeah, the bears seem to be sitting there waiting. I don't know if the fish just aren't that abundant or the bears are very picky about going after the right ones.
I do appreciate how every once in a while a bird swoops through the bears like it ain't no thing. Bear or not, they got wings and they know how to use them.
posted by downtohisturtles at 11:59 PM on July 8, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yeah, the bears seem to be sitting there waiting. I don't know if the fish just aren't that abundant or the bears are very picky about going after the right ones.
I do appreciate how every once in a while a bird swoops through the bears like it ain't no thing. Bear or not, they got wings and they know how to use them.
posted by downtohisturtles at 11:59 PM on July 8, 2014 [1 favorite]
I just wonder if there is a fish supply problem of some sort. The bears don't look particularly scrawny, but I don't know how robust they are supposed to be at this time of year.
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 12:10 AM on July 9, 2014
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 12:10 AM on July 9, 2014
Thanks for this! I was riveted by it last year and totally forgot about it until now.
I tuned in to see five bears on the screen (there are only three right now). It was pretty thrilling, because I remember plenty of hours of no wildlife but the birds from last year. Even if no one has caught anything yet, it's still exciting because the odds are in my favor. Or their favor, I guess.
posted by paisley sheep at 12:23 AM on July 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
I tuned in to see five bears on the screen (there are only three right now). It was pretty thrilling, because I remember plenty of hours of no wildlife but the birds from last year. Even if no one has caught anything yet, it's still exciting because the odds are in my favor. Or their favor, I guess.
posted by paisley sheep at 12:23 AM on July 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yay, one caught a salmon! And as soon as it wandered off to a more peaceful spot to nomnom it, another bear was like, "This must be the good spot!" and immediately hurried over to stand in the place the other bear just left.
I am now awaiting the new bear's salmon success, to see if his (her?) theory about the best spot holds true.
posted by paisley sheep at 12:40 AM on July 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
I am now awaiting the new bear's salmon success, to see if his (her?) theory about the best spot holds true.
posted by paisley sheep at 12:40 AM on July 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
I walked into a giant mess at work today, so I really needed some bears to watch. Thank you.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:14 AM on July 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:14 AM on July 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
Just popped in to say I love the title and copy of this post. 10/10 would click again.
posted by drowsy at 6:49 AM on July 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by drowsy at 6:49 AM on July 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
We're going on a bear hunt. We're not scared! (Because they're on the other side if the monitor)
posted by phearlez at 7:22 AM on July 9, 2014
posted by phearlez at 7:22 AM on July 9, 2014
Love this.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 7:39 AM on July 9, 2014
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 7:39 AM on July 9, 2014
Yesssssssss. Thank you for keeping track of when this happens so I don't have to.
posted by maryr at 8:10 AM on July 9, 2014
posted by maryr at 8:10 AM on July 9, 2014
This is awesome. Thanks for posting!
posted by insectosaurus at 9:14 AM on July 9, 2014
posted by insectosaurus at 9:14 AM on July 9, 2014
I watched this, a lot, last year. I had it on my second monitor every day for several weeks. The really interesting thing about the Brooks Falls camera is that every one of those bears has an agreed-upon spot in the river. If you watch every day, you'll see that they're in the same spots, over and over.
Reminds me of that old Loony Tunes cartoon where Sam the Sheepdog and Ralph the Coyote punch the clock in the morning before going to battle.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:00 AM on July 9, 2014
Reminds me of that old Loony Tunes cartoon where Sam the Sheepdog and Ralph the Coyote punch the clock in the morning before going to battle.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:00 AM on July 9, 2014
These bears look like they're in pretty good shape. We had a super harsh winter (well, for Tennessee) and the acorn mast crop was thin. Our resident black bears aren't looking so hot.
posted by workerant at 3:35 PM on July 9, 2014
posted by workerant at 3:35 PM on July 9, 2014
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Really, this is really great. I have a mob each of Wallaroos and Blue Flyers out my work-room window and three bears catching salmon live on my screen.
Bears and wallabies. I wonder how they'd match up.
posted by Kerasia at 11:35 PM on July 8, 2014 [2 favorites]