Three visitors to Katmai National Park could have wound up as bear food when they went into a closed area below Brooks Falls/Rebecca Latson file
If you're going to ignore regulations, you really shouldn't do it in an area that a live webcam is focused on. But that's what three visitors to Katmai National Park and Preserve did when they entered a closed area below Brooks Falls where brown bears were busy catching their dinner.
According to park staff, it was shortly before 7 p.m. local time Thursday when two Alaska residents and one out-of-state visitor entered the closed area and approached multiple bears that were feeding on salmon in the river.
In doing so, the group violated National Park Service wildlife viewing regulations, putting themselves and wildlife at risk, a park release added. Immediately after the incident, Katmai rangers received multiple reports from concerned visitors and explore.org bear cam viewers who observed the violations. The group was contacted by park rangers and charges are pending. Details on identities will be released when charges are finalized.
“People need to recognize that these are wild brown bears. These visitors are lucky that they escaped the situation without injury. The possible consequences for the bears and themselves could have been disastrous,” said Katmai Superintendent Mark Sturm.
In Katmai, approaching within 50 yards of a bear using a concentrated food source, such as migrating or spawning salmon, is prohibited. Because of concentrated bear activity at Brooks Falls, area closures are in place from June 15 through August 15, in order to allow bears access to essential food resources that allow them to survive through the winter. These closures help prevent bear-human interactions.
Katmai National Park and Preserve provides elevated viewing platforms at Brooks Camp to facilitate a safer atmosphere for thousands of visitors from around the world to observe wild brown bears in their natural environment. The park relies on visitors to adhere to park regulations to protect themselves and bears.
Comments
thank you for doing the great job you do of proteting animals from people.Sad but neessary today!
happy to read bears are ok And the humans are arrested.
They should be made to swim upstream with the salmon, constumed as closely a feasible as the salmon the bears are feeding on. Then they can really have an up close encounter with the bears.
I hope the NPS starts seriously increasing fines - into the multi-thousands for all these stupid persons that put the wildlife, the rangers, and the environment in jepardy. Maybe they might think a second before blatenly ignoring the rules if the penalty is severe enough. I think the fines are not steep enough they are disregarded. And sadly too many people think the rules don't apply to them, only to everyone else.
I hope more visitors will start reporting these people!
Take pictures and license plate information to give to the Park Rangers.
Just read this to my spouse, who only said PEOPLE ARE REALLY STUPID!
I totally agree ! I think this person should be fined per bear that was at the Falls feeding on salmon that night. There were 6 bears in view of the camera at that time. Each bear was subjected to his harrassment. For the past few days the place where he entered the water has been a "safe spot" for 4 yearlings while their Mom fished. I shudder to think of the outcome had they been there. The Mom would have protected her babies and the little ones would more than likely panic and become seperated from her.