Watch An Angry Bear Toss A Fellow Bear Down A Waterfall When It Tries To Steal Her Food

Wildlife videos don’t always have enough context to fully understand the events you witness. Sometimes you’re left with questions, which can be unsettling. Thankfully, this video is narrated, which offers a great deal of insight into the behaviors of these large Alaskan brown bears.

Watch a Young Bear Learn a Hard Lesson!

When Do Mother Bears Get Aggressive?

Mother bears get aggressive whenever they perceive a threat. The threat could be real or imagined but a mama bear responds quickly and fiercely. Not only do mama bears get aggressive when a threat is present, but they also get very territorial. They travel with their cubs and their cubs are theirs, so if something or someone approaches and the mother bear is not having it, she doesn’t hesitate to attack.

How Old Do Bears Get?

Bears can live long lives. In the wild, they often only make it to 25 years but in captivity, where threats and dangers aren’t so prevalent, their life spans double up to 50 years. Brown bears don’t reach sexual maturity until they reach five years of age. When they’re less than one year old, they’re still considered cubs but even at 18 months, the juveniles stay close to their mothers. They may even stick close to their mothers until three or four years of age. At that stage, the mothers push them off to live on their own as they prepare to mate again. A bear doesn’t reach its full adult size until it reaches age 10.

Mother Bear Teaches Young Bear A Lesson

In the, you watch Grazer, a mother bear, teach a 2.5-year-old young bear an important lesson. The video is from a bear cam at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska, and is narrated by Mike Fitz. He explains that this video demonstrates the risks these bears experience to ensure they get enough sustenance and their behaviors as they defend their cubs. He goes on to pause the video several times, providing a thorough explanation of the unfolding events.

He highlights Grazer and her cubs and the 2.5-year-old bear that’s looking to snag a fish from that small family. The smaller bear is rewarded for the risk it took with a single fish and moves over to a secure spot to enjoy the meal. Later that same day, this brazen young bear returns but the mama bear is not having it this time. She bites down on its neck and mauls it for several moments. The bear tries to break free but is in a difficult position. She finally lets go and it tumbles backward into the water, stunned for a few moments.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Mark Kostich