Wolf steals spotlight

Courtesy: Peter Hamel

by Jason Moore
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- It's one of the premier wildlife viewing areas in all of Alaska, the Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park.

The main attraction is the big brown bears that crowd the falls and feast on red salmon. For many red salmon from Bristol Bay, their trip ends just short of the spawning grounds, in the jaws of a bear.

It all happens in front of an audience, and this summer, that audience got a special treat. It was captured on video by Peter Hamel with Katmai National Park.

"The first day that wolf showed up it came trotting down the far bank and just jumps out in the river real quick, catches a fish, disappears and you know, it happened so quick, maybe 30 seconds or so. People are like, ‘Whoa what's going on here?'" Hamel said.

Hamel said the lone female wolf frequented the falls for about three weeks this summer and he said, not only did it capture more attention than the bears, it was better at catching fish.

"The difference between the bears and the wolf was fun to watch too, because the wolf, in 30 seconds, would have a fish and be gone, and you see the bears sometimes fishing half an hour before catching a fish," Hamel said.

He said the wolf was seen once carrying two salmon at the same time, likely to a den.

As for the bears, and another encroaching predator in their territory, Hamel said it was not a problem.

"When I was watching them interact at the falls in these videos I have, you can see this bear kind of look over and then looks back and that's the end of the interaction," Hamel said. "The wolf is not nervous, but quick with its business, and the bear doesn't even pay it any attention. Just kind of like, ‘Hey, welcome to the falls, catch your fish and have a good day.'"

Contact Jason Moore at jmoore@ktuu.com