Occurred on August 11, 2018 / Wrangell, Alaska, USA
Info from Licensor: "Black and brown bears from surrounding mountains descend upon the mouth of Anan Creek to gorge themselves on salmon, which return to local rivers and streams for spawning. In this area, tensions are high as many bears are forced into a small area to partake in the feast. This particular black bear cub climbed this tree as a large male approached him and his mother. As the male continued feeding, the cub was forced to remain in the tree, as male black bears are known to kill cubs. After some time, the cub grew tired of the waiting game and tried to take a nap perched atop this branch. He visibly dozes off several times, almost falling off the branch while doing so. Six to ten black bears were present at the time of filming. Bears, especially black bears, are known to be excellent climbers and can be seen climbing occasionally. I do believe the specific act of a bear cub falling asleep on a tree branch is quite rare though. Luckily for this cub and his mother, the male got his fill of salmon and continued further downstream, allowing the cub to safely come down and reunite with his mother. When I first saw the cub run up the tree, I made sure to have my tripod in place and all my settings dialed in, but I did not expect I would see this cub actually doze off and almost fall out of the tree!"
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