Bear glare - Sergey Gorshkov - Wildlife Photographer of the Year2007

2007 Animal Portraits - Winner

Sergey Gorshkov Click to enlarge Bear glare

Sergey Gorshkov (Russia)

Bear glare

'I'd been so busy taking pictures of the salmon in the Ozernaya River in southern Kamchatka, east Russia, I didn't notice the bear until it was a metre away. It was a terrible shock. I kept calm enough to take the picture but only later did I realise how serious the situation was.' Brown bears roam mainly in far northern parts of America and Russia. But they used to live as far south as north Africa and Mexico. Excessive killing and habitat loss has made their existence more fragile. They tend to avoid humans, but can become aggressive if defending a cub or carcass.

Nikon D2X + Nikkor 12–24mm f4 G AF-S DX lens at 12mm; 1/250 sec at f10; ISO 200; Subal housing; two strobes INON D2000.

This photograph is available to buy as a print.