6-Month-Old Bear Cub Nibbles Photographer's Boot in Katmai National Park
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30
6-Month-Old Bear Cub Nibbles Photographer's Boot in Katmai National Park
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30
Summary
A six-month-old brown bear cub briefly bit photographer Bruce Danz’s boot during a 30-second encounter this month in Katmai National Park and Preserve in southern Alaska.
The cub broke from its mother and two siblings after the family rounded a bend near a group of photographers; Danz said he moved his foot about an inch and the cub let go.
Danz, a retired doctor from Wisconsin on his second Alaska trip, said he felt only a slight tug and stayed calm to avoid alarming the mother bear, which kept walking and fishing.
Jerry Jacques, a tour guide with nearly 50 years leading visitors in southern Alaska, said he had never seen a similar interaction, underscoring how unusual the close contact was.
A bear cub peacefully nibbled a photographer's boot, but why are adult bears brutally turning on each other in Katmai this season?
Could a viral video of a curious cub chewing a tourist's boot actually signal a deadly habituation problem in Alaska's crowded parks?
With Katmai experiencing unprecedented bear crowding and infanticide in 2026, is standing perfectly still truly enough to keep wildlife photographers safe?