The photographer filmed a playful fight between two bears (11 photos)

A wildlife photographer captured a playful "fight" between two brown bears in a national park in Alaska. During the brawl, the young bears tumbled on the ground, stood on their hind legs and simply fooled around. But even this kind of playful fighting helps prepare them to acquire some of the skills they need to survive.





Wildlife photographer Mark Buckler captured this pair of bears in Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA. These are two young males who decided to playfully “fight”, tumbling, biting each other and frolicking.

"These bears are simply playing for fun or relaxation. However, this play behavior of many animals, especially young ones, helps them prepare to acquire some of the skills necessary to survive in the wild," the photographer writes.



Brown bears are one of the largest land predators. Katmai National Park is home to approximately 2,200 brown bears, and tourists often see them in their natural habitat. The park itself was founded in 1918, and is now an important habitat and conservation site for salmon and brown bears.

If brown bears fight for fun, then they do not cause each other any harm. But they can seriously injure each other if they compete for territory, mates, or food. A female bear may fight to protect her cubs.