Wildlife photographer Nate Luebbe and his friend visited Katmai National Park intending to see some bears, but they didn't have to try too hard when they got there.
"I was camping (and) there, on the way to the waterfall, when I saw it. It was 50 meters away, right by the campground," Luebbe told SWNS, a news and content agency, earlier this week.
"I was there to see some bears but not from this up close," he said, adding, "It was right there. It felt like I could have touched it."
The 36-year-old and his friend stopped so as to not provoke an attack, but when he realized it was an adolescent and didn't appear to be a threat, he did what any photographer would do: he grabbed his camera and started recording.
In the 30-second video, you can see the bear move along the trail and sniff the ground as he walks. Luebbe explained that while filming, he did not want to appear as a threat and instead, wanted to let the bear know that it was the alpha.
"I was feeling a mix of fear, cool, collected and nervous, trying not to remember that it's an animal the size of a car with knives on its hands," Luebbe said, adding, "Once you confirm it's not a life-threatening situation, it's beautiful to see an animal like that in its habitat."
