Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Shake It

A brown bear shakes several litres of water from its fur, not long after waking up from hibernation. In a most incredible use of energy, a brown bear feeds her cubs for two months from her own stored reserves and consumes no food or drink herself. This image was taken while I was observing the life of brown bears in the Carpathian Mountains for several weeks within the frameworks of an ethological observation.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2018
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Harghita, Romania
Camera: DC-G9
Copyright: © Bence Mate