Heart-Stopping Encounter With Grizzly Bear Family Caught On Camera

Well sneaking up close to a grizzly bear is not a job for the timid but for wildlife photographer Matt Addington it's a way of life. He held his nerve as he captured the rare moment a mama bear and her cubs crawled right up to him. When I saw that video my heart was in my stomach. It was honestly like one of the most surreal and peaceful moments that you could imagine. It's hard to consider an apex predator peaceful perhaps unless you're a wildlife photographer like Matt Addington. Yes grizzly bears can be menacing and they're the ultimate apex predator but you know in that moment they were very content. So content with their abundance of grass to graze on this mama bear and her three cubs crawled closer and closer while the cameras kept rolling. I kind of sat you know just leaning back against my backpack and had my feet out in front of me and she was probably two feet away from my feet. In the moment you're just kind of like trying to process it and record and shoot photos but afterwards it was like I really can't believe that that just happened. Matt was camping with guides at Katmai National Park in Alaska otherwise known as brown bear country. They are just pounding the sedge grass this time of year. They eat up to 120 pounds of grass a day just trying to pack on pounds for the hibernation season. It's home to 2,000 brown bears and draws in plenty of tourists particularly during the summer months but getting this up close and personal is rare. There was moments as she walked away with the cubs and I'm just kind of shaking my head thinking like did that really just happen? Like there was just a 900 pound grizzly bear standing at my feet but in the moment it was just so peaceful. Matt has traveled the world documenting moments such as these for 17 years. Is this just an ordinary day in the office for you Matt? Oh man I can't say it was ordinary but I'm blessed that I've been able to go a lot of places and see a lot of cool things. Would you say this is the best experience yet? Yeah man it it was just so cool. I've been charged by a rhino, I've had a moose a bull moose standing over the top of me but this one was yeah it was just it was so surreal that it'll definitely be on the top of the list. A once in a lifetime encounter the world can now enjoy through Matt's eyes.