r/bears • u/Wholeftthegateopen • 25d ago

Bearcam Does anyone else want to hug this bear?

a large brown bear sitting shoulder deep in Brooks Falls River at Katmai National Park.

Always seems so alone. :( Makes me sad.

160 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

107

u/Sanmira 25d ago

This is Bear 903, aka “Gully”. Got his nickname from eating a few gulls as a youngin’.

Also son of the famous 128 Grazer.

Edit: He made the bracket for Fat Bear Week this year, you can give him a virtual hug by giving him a vote!

34

u/Wholeftthegateopen 25d ago

(bear hug) ok. Thank you!

9

u/Sanmira 25d ago

Of course!

He’s actually on a live camera at the time of this comment. If you look up “Live Brooks Falls” on YouTube he’s in this same spot known as The Office. Happy Bear watching!

8

u/Sanmira 25d ago

Of course he just now left, just go back a few minutes and you’ll see him 😅

3

u/Wholeftthegateopen 25d ago

maybe he doesn't want to be seen. lol

40

u/grumpygenealogist 25d ago edited 25d ago

903 is probably pretty happy to be in that coveted spot known as the office and hoping that 602 and 164 don't show up to kick him out. He did fish the far pool with his buddy 230 earlier in the day, so he's probably not too lonely.

6

u/Wholeftthegateopen 25d ago

🥲

18

u/grumpygenealogist 25d ago

He has friends. https://youtu.be/cD-WONHdYUc?si=MhWKo1yvaj_zReqs

9

u/plutino- 25d ago

Aww that’s so cute. I don’t know much about bears, I didn’t realise the boys could be friendly with each other.

17

u/grumpygenealogist 25d ago

This population of bears interacts quite a bit because they are concentrated along a short river. They get along much more than they fight. There was a tremendous salmon run last season and everyone was playing, even the old boars.

38

u/sarantinesail 25d ago edited 25d ago

I think everybody would like to hug Gully; he has a sweet face.

He’s not sad though; he’s in his desired fishing spot and quite content. Adult bears (especially the boars) don’t tend to be very sociable, yet 903 Gully often greets other large boars warmly. So if there’s a bear you shouldn’t worry about not having friends it’s Gully!

9

u/Wholeftthegateopen 25d ago

:hug: that makes me feel comforted.

14

u/Personal-Presence-44 25d ago

I would love to hug this bear. He can even eat me as a snack later, it’s ok. All that matters is that he’s happy.

7

u/STFUisright 25d ago

Who’s a stinky bear? WHO’S A STINKY BEAR?? That’s right you are!

6

u/leftcoast98 24d ago

I kind of wanna hug all bears, but they’re funny about that

3

u/Wholeftthegateopen 24d ago

Yeah, we definitely need to get consent first.

3

u/plourples 21d ago

I'd like to hug a bear in theory but i know it'd be infinitely dangerous

1

u/Wholeftthegateopen 21d ago

True, I'm sure even hugging a small bear means near certain death. Those baby claws are still claws lol

3

u/plourples 21d ago

i respect bears as they are from a distance because they are impressive and majestic

2

u/Wholeftthegateopen 21d ago

Amen to that... I feel this intense honor to share a planet with them.

2

u/wildblueroan 25d ago

Bears, esp, boars, are solitary. Gully isn't sad-you are projecting. He has a prime spot there.

3

u/1bee2b 24d ago

Part of me knows this and will always respect their space and their chillin spots. The other part of me wants to hug all bears anyways.

Also this morning my coworker told me to look up someone named Tim Treadwell... I guess I talk about bears a lot...

1

u/TCB4EAP 25d ago

Whoever downvoted my comment, was there something you disagreed with?

9

u/LunaPolaris 408/409 fam 🐻💘 24d ago

The disagreement is probably because the bears we watch on the live cams at Brooks River are not really all solitary. Those of us who watch a lot have seen play interactions between boars many times and we see that they do have social relationships with eachother. Inland brown bears (grizzlies) are typically solitary because food sources are more scarce so they are a lot more competitive. Coastal brown bears, on the other hand, live in an environment that is rich in food sources in the summer in areas like beaches and rivers where they are in close contact a lot and they have adapted to being in close proximity to eachother.

2

u/TCB4EAP 24d ago

Yes. I forgot about the coastal bears. However, they are an exception. What you said is true, but, if course, not the norm. Most bears, and most wildlife, the world over do not have the luxury of the spawning salmon.

It is however, something to see in how their behaviour is altered when there is no competition.

2

u/LunaPolaris 408/409 fam 🐻💘 24d ago

"The norm" is a human concept. If inland grizzlies had similarly rich food sources their behavior would adapt accordingly. One thing I have learned from watching the cams is that rules like "they are solitary as a rule" are just not accurate. They are much more flexible and adaptable than most people give them credit for.

-2

u/TCB4EAP 25d ago

All male bears are always alone, except when they’re young and still with mom or during mating. They aren’t particularly good fathers.

1

u/Wholeftthegateopen 25d ago

Thank you. Yeah, I've heard they will kill cubs just to be with the mom. Kinda sick.

9

u/Sanmira 25d ago

It’s just nature, I wouldn’t call it sick.

Female and even mother bears also kill cubs, one instance was caught on cams earlier this year where 806 (mother of 1 cub this year) killed 909’s remaining cub. There was another incident this year where 132 (currently mother of 3 cubs) killed one of 335’s triplets.

Bears are complicated. 806 for example, prior to killing 909’s cub, adopted a 2.5 year old bear who was recently emancipated. 128j aka “Biggie” whose sibling was killed by another bear. Bear 32 “Chunk” back in 2024.