grizzly bear
Credit: Arthur Lefo/Instagram

Watch Grizzly Bears Spark Confrontation in Front of Audience

The wild grizzlies run, stop, and then confront each other all in front of a live audience.

Wildlife photographer Arthur Lefo shared a dramatic moment from last year's bear-watching season on the Alaskan peninsula. In the video posted to Instagram, two grizzly bears run through a field and pass a group of spectators. The bears' paws hit the ground as they gait and cameras snap photos. Then, all of a sudden, the bears stop in soggy grass and confront each other. One begins to stand on its hind legs and growl while the other cowers and then growls back.

 

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A post shared by Arthur Lefo (@arthurlefo)

It's an amazing scene even though it's unclear what happened next — if the bears began to fight or play. In the comments, Lefo explained that the grizzly bears seen in the video were just aggressive young males. "Two subadults having a little assertion of dominance!" he said.

As for why the group of spectators just stood there, Lefo explained that the bears in that area have been habituated for the past 40 years and because of that, there hasn't been a single bear attack. "When we go see bears here, we focus on staying together as a group and never running, and giving the bears space so they can pass by should they want to or need to as is the case here," he said.