It could be described as a bear knuckle boxing match.
Two massive black bears were recently caught on camera duking it out on a Yukon wilderness road, throwing punches and grappling for the dominant position in a stunning show of nature.
“The spring rut is in full swing, and the big boars are on the warpath,” wrote hunting outfitter Jim Shockey, who shared the intense wrestling match in a post to Instagram.
The footage, captured May 2, was taken during an expedition with Rogue River Outfitters Yukon.
In the video, the two black bears (which can easily weigh up to 500 pounds, each) can be seen landing overhead and roundhouse punches.
“With the mating season still weeks away, this battle is most likely a chance encounter and an ensuing fight over territory,” the outfitting company wrote last month, calling the bears’ power “mind blowing.”
“You can see some of the blows delivered knock each other off their feet,” they continued. “They look slow and cumbersome as they walk along but this video clearly illustrates the agility, power and speed they can summon when the occasion calls for it. ”
According to the outfitter, it’s rare to observe a fight like this, although they do happen frequently — usually just away from human eyes. Rogue River says that areas of high bear density are more prone to these intense matches, especially if food supply is limited or it’s mating season.
And while “the sound of bear fights is an eerie mix of whoofing, bawling, teeth clacking and snarls,” this chance encounter was taken from the safety of one of the expedition trucks, meaning they weren’t able to capture any audio of the altercation.
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