Decades Old Bear Shows Off His Age and Battle Scars as He Returns to Rapids for Salmon

If you’ve heard of Van the Bear, you’ll want to watch the viral video shown at the end of this article. Van is a decades-old grizzly bear who resides in North America.

The video takes place in Hallow Bay, Alaska, and shows Van approaching another large grizzly bear in the water. It’s clear Van is attempting (and succeeding) to establish his dominance against the other large brown bear.

The narrator of the video explains that Van is likely the most dominant bear on the beach — and has been for the last 30 years. In fact, you can even see evidence of Van’s brutal fights from his missing ear and weathered body. Still, despite his old age, he is able to win against the seemingly younger, larger bear featured in the TikTok video. You can watch as Van confronts the other bear, who is in his fishing spot, as the narrator explains. 

Van continues fearlessly walking toward the other bear as it backs up, though still putting up a fight and roaring at Van. However, Van turns his back against his opponent as a sign of dominance. 

How Long Can Bears Live?

On average, bears live between 10 to 20 years, with some species living up to their 30s. Grizzly bears like Van are of the species that live between 25 to sometimes (but rarely) 35 years. This is in part due to the fact that bears are at the top of the food chain in their ecosystem. In other words, they don’t have many predators looking to kill or feed off of them. In fact, their biggest threat is humans, as many will hunt bears for their fur or for sport. Additionally, other human-caused accidents like car crashes and habitat loss contribute to the death of bears. However, generally, these beautiful, large creatures will otherwise typically lead a long and healthy life. 

How Do Grizzly Bears Establish Dominance?

As depicted in the video at the end of this article, dominance is not determined by the size of a bear. In fact, bears establish their dominance by intimidating other bears and maintaining an “alpha” attitude. In fact, as Van demonstrated, many bears will turn their backs on their opponents to establish dominance, as if to “show no fear,” so to speak.

Watch the Incredible Video of Decades-Old Van the Grizzly