Geoffrey Reynaud (Canada) records a grizzly bear hunting for salmon in the freezing night.
This was Geoffrey’s second visit to see the Yukon ‘ice bears’ during the winter, with permission to photograph on the land of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.
A few years before, Geoffrey had built a den and spent 20 days looking for tracks and fresh kills to learn how bears and wolves take advantage of late-spawning salmon.
This time, after setting up camera traps, he returned to his car to sleep. Temperatures plummeted to -10°C (14°F), resulting in the bear’s fur freezing as it searched for salmon in the shallows.
In other locations, creeks are frozen and bears are hibernating by this time of year. Here, the seeping groundwater stops the ice forming and keeps the salmon swimming for longer. The Yukon ‘ice bears’ take advantage of this nutrient-rich food supply.
Rich in fat and protein, Pacific salmon is an important food source for the bears. In some areas, it makes up half their diet during the salmon migration period.
Canada
Geoffrey is a professional photographer. Using his professional background in cinema, he produces unique perspectives while capturing the moment and telling the stories of the wild natural world that inspire him. His passion has taken him across the world, documenting species and providing visuals to non-profit organisations. He always aims to create a powerful image that hopefully will help to influence positive environmental change.
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