Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska

Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska, originally uploaded by blather.
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Grizzly Bear, Denali National Park, Alaska. This is as close as I got to any bears, alas. And this was with a 400mm lens, hanging out the side of a bus, pointing about 30 degrees down a slope - which is the only reason that the bear looks like he's on the flat! Apparently he's fairly young - maybe three years old, and about 150kg/300lb.

Heather's been telling everyone that I photographed a "bear's ass". As you can see, I managed to photograph its head too. Some feat, eh?

BTW, I have no great desire to get *any* closer to a bear. I think of them as being like an eccentric neighbour. You see them walking past, glasses held together with cellotape, shopping bags full of junk, and a dirty mac. They keep to themselves until the neighbourhood kids start breaking their winds and stealing their apples. Then they turn into an axe murderer.

Bears like to keep to themselves - and they usually only attack when they feel threatened.