Two brown bears work the same stretch of riverbank in Katmai National Park, Alaska, keeping a careful distance from one another

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Riverside Picnic

Two enormous brown bears stood along the river, surrounded by the soft, indistinct blur of the Alaskan tundra. One had his back to me, finishing off a salmon. The other was approaching, his attention fixed entirely on the disappearing meal ahead. His muzzle was still stained with blood from his own lunch.

The scene had all the ingredients of a peaceful riverside picnic—if you ignored the fact that the picnickers were two massive brown bears and the menu was salmon. I liked the tension in the moment: one bear casually finishing his meal while the other closes in, completely focused on what might be left.

Nikon Z 7II · Nikkor Z 180-600mm · 600mm · f/6.3 · 1/640 sec · ISO 2200

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Frame 55 of 82

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