Watch a Grizzly Ambush Three Moose in Denali

Bears are opportunistic feeders and this grizzly has stumbled upon the opportunity of the year! The footage was filmed at the Denali National Park in Alaska. We see the grizzly bear wandering around some grassland and across a river. They stop to rub up against a tree – to ease an itchy back – and then continue on their way.

Before long, a moose with two calves appears across the grassland and walks almost straight into the waiting bear. The chase starts and sadly ends in a very short space of time as the bear catches one of the calves and easily overpowers it. The mother and the other calf, however, escape and then turn to look back as the bear devours the unfortunate calf. They soon move on as the grizzly retreats to the cover of the larger trees to eat their catch.

The footage cuts to a later close-up of the moose and calf who are well camouflaged against the rocks, trees, river, and bushes. But, guess who is also on the move? Yes, it’s the grizzly on the hunt for a second serving but this time their luck is not in. Towards the end of the video they encounter a second grizzly but the pair keep a respectful distance.

Witness this Epic Battle in the Complete Video Below

All About Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bears are actually brown bears and have been awarded this rather strange name because they have a light tip on the end of their hairs. This gives them their silver, or, ‘grizzled’ look.

Despite the rather gruesome incident that we witness in this footage, grizzly bears are mainly plant eaters. They are actually omnivores which means that they can eat both plants and meats but their diet is 90 percent plants. Fresh meat makes up a small percentage so they do not hunt moose that often. The poor calf in this footage was just unlucky.

However, bears will pick off younger animals because they are easier to catch and that includes bear cubs. Male grizzly bears will kill and then eat bear cubs in displays of cannibalism. It can be connected with mating and male bears will kill the offspring of the dominant male so that they have a chance to mate with the female and pass on their own genes. Sadly, grizzly bear cubs are very vulnerable and some do not make it into adulthood. The bears live a solitary life, roaming around their territory, in what looks like an idyllic existence!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Steve Boice/Shutterstock.com