Behold These 15 Photographs of Big, Beautiful Bears
Bears make cuddly stuffed animals, but snuggling real-life one is not advised. With some male grizzlies weighing up to 700 pounds, it’s a bad idea to let bears get up close and personal to you. However, seeing them hug, frolic and play with one another is one of life’s simple pleasures. They can be gentle giants, wading in rushing waters, snacking on berries or tending to their young.
Those behaviors are best observed from afar, though. For a closer look, enjoy these 15 images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest.
Sunlight piercing through storm clouds after rainfall at Lake Clark serves as a backdrop for a bear cub with muddy paws. Leighton Lum, Alaska, 2021
In the golden light of the fall season, this mama bear and her cub are beautifully backlit in the afternoon light. Twila Hedges, Canada, 2020
Each bear has its own technique to catch fish. This one’s open-wide strategy seems to be working. Thomas Vijayan, Alaska, 2016
Droplets create a spectacular spray as a bear shakes off the water while fishing in the rivers outside Bella Coola, British Columbia. Peter Lonergan, Canada, 2017
A bear loses its grip on a fish that survived a brush with death and avoided becoming a meal. Thomas Vijayan, Alaska, 2019
A solitary bear blocks the road along the Alaska Highway in the Yukon. Is it hoping for a ride? Geoffrey Prior, Canada, 2022
