Caught On Camera: Rare Footage of Grizzly Bears Fighting On Northern Canadian Highway

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We all have our little spats that usually start as something small and barely discernable but end up as a full-blown fight that you end up regretting being a part of. It appears that animals also have their own battles which are no less bloody.

A video showing two grizzly bears attacking each other on a British Colombia (B.C.) highway in Canada has gone viral on social media. The rare footage which was recorded and posted on Facebook by Cari McGillivray, shows the two bears growling at each other on Cassiar Highway between Stewart and Meziadin Junction.

Stewart is a town close to the Alaska border with roughly 500 inhabitants. McGillivray uploaded the video with the following comment; “Don’t normally post on here but thought I’d share this incredibly rare and amazing moment with all you guys of these grizzlies fighting!” [1]

The video begins showing the two bears roaring and growling at each other while they both stood up on their hind legs. Their grappling brought them out of the surrounding forest onto the roadway, fighting with each other every step of the way.

This all happened under the watchful gaze of a wolf which can be seen watching the proceedings from a distance. The fight ends with one of the bears chasing the other toward the camera. [2]

One Facebook user commented saying: “Two bears fighting AND a wolf in the background. Highly rare capture.”

The video has since gathered over 1.3 million shares on Facebook. Meanwhile, wildlife conservation officers in the area have announced that they have received a record number of calls this spring related to conflicts between humans and bears.

Chris Doyle, deputy chief conservation officer in B.C., reports that his office received 3,826 calls relating to black bears and 182 calls for grizzly bears this April and May. According to him, these figures are the highest they have seen in eight years compared to the annual seasonal average of 2,400 calls for black bears and 82 for grizzlies. [3]

He urges local residents to properly secure anything that could draw bears close to humans and into residential neighborhoods. These things include garbage, barbecues, livestock, bird feeders, and fruit crops.

Bears: more than cuddly teddy bears

Bears are one of the most versatile and adaptable animals on earth, and their behavior still stirs awe, curiosity, wonder, and fear in us today. Although there are thousands of human-bear encounters every year, bear attacks are extremely rare and only very few result in injury.

Bears typically avoid humans, and most of them will actually retreat before you are even aware of their presence. Conflicts between bears usually occur when their natural food supply runs out as they may travel hundreds of kilometers to look for food. Bringing them close to other bears competing for limited resources. [4]

Why do bears have a nose for human food

Bears are omnivorous opportunists with a good sense of smell that can help them sniff out calorie-rich foods from a long way off. These calorie-rich foods are often found in developed communities in places such as garbage, pet food, birdseed, and even fruit crops.

These foods are especially attractive to bears before and after they come out of hibernation and are forced to live solely off their stored body fat. Before they hibernate, bears enter a metabolic state in which they overeat, consuming more than 15,000 to 20,000 calories a day. [5]

They may lose up to one-third of their body weight during hibernation and awaken from their slumber in springtime when natural foods are typically scarce, bringing them even closer to areas inhabited by humans.

The post Caught On Camera: Rare Footage of Grizzly Bears Fighting On Northern Canadian Highway appeared first on The Hearty Soul.

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