How Do Bears Catch Fish?

How Do Bears Catch Fish? Each and every bear catches fish in its own way. Some jump into the water and outrun the fish as they frantically flap themselves over the stones, and pinning one to the riverbed with heavy claws is much easier.

Others wait by the side of the river for fish to swim by and then grab one. One bear was seen waiting at the top of a waterfall. When the fish jumped over the rocks, the bear caught it in its mouth.

But the right sort of waterfall is relatively rare and competition from other hungry bears at these spots can be very fierce. It also requires perfect reflexes.

The bear has just one chance to snatch the slippery, struggling fish with a grip firm enough to make it back to the shore without it wriggling free. If he drops it, the fast-flowing water will whisk away his prize, even if the fish is already dead.

Snow bears push their paws repeatedly on the ice, jumping up and down until they make a hole. Then, they wait until a fish swims by.  In short we now know how do bears catch fish.

Do bears eat the entire salmon? Bears know this and prefer to eat the skin, brain, and eggs—the fattiest parts of a salmon—when fish are in abundance. This is an ephemeral behavior, however. When salmon are not abundant or hard to catch then bears will not be as selective and will most often eat the fish.

Content for this question contributed by Sandra Lopez, resident of Ontario, Canada