Bronwyn Ellis, Alaskan Brown Bears (Wildlife and Animal 2017)

Photo 1. Is of a mother bear nursing her cubs. It was raining lightly and I had been watching her for a while. When I heard the cubs make their "I'm hungry noise" I dearly hoped that this Sow would feel comfortable enough with our presence and honour me with the privilege of seeing her nurse her cubs. I was not disappointed at the tenderness of this moment (Lake Clark National Park). Photo 2. The tide was low and this solitary brown bear momentarily breaks the serenity of the early morning as she walks purposefully along the beach looking for a suitable place to dig for clams (Cook Inlet Lake Clark National Park). Photo 3. The rain had finally stopped when I came across this wet juvenile Brown Bear resting in the grass of the meadow. While it is well known that Alaskan Brown Bears eat fish, they also eat their fill of grasses, while they wait for the Salmon to start their run (Lake Clark National Park). Photo 4. The Salmon haven't quite started to run. This male Brown Bear (boar) has spotted a salmon trying to make it's way up the river. He uses his power to chase down the Salmon. This photo has captured him just before he dives under the water and snatches the unfortunate salmon.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.