A protective mother had to defend her cubs from another Alaskan brown bear as they fished at a river bank.
The female Alaskan brown bear had just finished fishing for her two young cubs and left them playing and wrestling on the river bank in Alaska’s Katmai National Park.
However, after spying a dangerous bear threatening her children, the 600lb mother raced into action.
With all four paws off the ground she flew through the sand and spray to chase off a thinner looking rival.
A female Alaskan brown bear had just finished fishing for her two young cubs on the river bank Katmai National Park in Alaska when she had to spring into action.
The mother bear had left her cubs wrestling at the edge of the riverbank when she had to chase the intruder away from them
With all four paws off the ground she flew through the sand and spray to chase off a thinner looking rival. After successfully protecting her cubs, the mom went back to relaxing with them on the river bank
After successfully protecting her cubs, the mom went back to relaxing with them on the river bank.
The dramatic scene was captured by photographer Harold Klein, from Canby, Oregon, who was assisting on a photography trip to Katmai National Park in Alaska.
Canby, 62, said: ‘This is a desperate “run for your life” situation caused by a bear encroaching on the young cubs of a 600lbs, ferociously protective Alaskan brown bear mum.
‘I was so excited by the fact that I happened to catch mum, the bear in pursuit of the intruder “flying” with all four feet off the ground at the same instant.
‘We had been sitting in a group on the beach for some time photographing the bears with fish, scenic shots and playing cubs.
The dramatic scene was captured by photographer Harold Klein, from Canby, Oregon, who was assisting on a photography trip to Katmai National Park in Alaska
Along with the pictures of the mother chasing away the intruder, Canby also snapped shots of the cubs playing near the river bank
The young cubs sat near the river bank as their mother scared away the intruder, who was encroaching on their space
Canby said there was ‘water, gravel and sand flying everywhere’ as the mother sprung into action to protect her young cubs
‘Eventually this mum and her cubs wondered into our area. We watched mum catch some fish and share scraps with the cubs before leaving them to themselves.
‘Then this other bear moved towards the cubs, and on its third approach the chase exploded right in front of us with water, gravel and sand flying everywhere.
‘These pictures show a glimpse into the life one morning of an Alaskan brown bear family of a mum and her two spring cubs.
‘Life is intimate and tender when mum is resting or nursing her cubs, hilarious when the cubs are wrestling, but moments later the rosy outlook is shattered by terrifying, life-threatening situations for the family.’
Canby said the photographs offer a glimpse in the the everyday life of the family of brown bears living at the Alaskan national park
‘Life is intimate and tender when mum is resting or nursing her cubs, hilarious when the cubs are wrestling’, Canby says, adding that it can also be terrifying when an intruder enters the scene
Canby said he was ‘so excited by the fact that I happened to catch mum’ scaring off the intruder, who is pictured above