856 Visits His Love 402 (explore.org KRV cam) 9.30.24

[@CKSWQ13]

😢He was sitting vigil and grieving. What a sad ending to a great love story.

[@kathynordholm5928]

I know Mike Fitz always says they know each other and remember. He remembers her well. I am grieving with him . 402 was such a sweet sow ….a legacy by all means

[@ninjadog9346]

Never in my life did I imagine that I would shed tears for a brown bear, yet here are many. I have learned many things from dogs in my life, and among those things are that animals have a full range of emotions, and animals have souls. 856 shows us that love is the most precious treasure in this world, because love is the only thing that you can bring with you when you die. I believe that animals go to Heaven. 856, one day, will see her again.

[@srvntlilly]

I absolutely believe that, too. And we'll get to meet them too. We'll get to see Otis and Holly, 402 and Smalls and all our past furbabies.🥹

[@kims.7829]

@@srvntlilly is Holly not alive anymore..I assumed cause she didn't show up this year..may be the case.

[@srvntlilly]

@@kims.7829 I'm sorry. Actually that's just my assumption, too. She was close in age to Otis.

[@srvntlilly]

I do believe they grieve. So heartbreaking. I can't stop crying. What a tough year. 😢💔

[@DulceLaAlma]

Thank you for your sincere and sensitive coverage, dear Manya. I pretty much stopped watching this year after 32 killed Grazer's tiny cub.... didn't have the strength of heart for the brutality, especially now that Otis is gone. But have stayed in touch with the season by watching the headlines... today's incident is truly heartbreaking, especially since earlier in the season i read comments from folks eagerly watching for 402's return.

[@toveirenbecker2471]

Same here. I have a PTSD-light after Tiny was killed.

[@DulceLaAlma]

@@toveirenbecker2471 ❤️🙏❤️

[@cy0967]

Same here, I'm reliving that nightmare and now this, it just keeps playing over and over in my head. So sad.

[@kims.7829]

I'm affected again myself..hard time sleeping and my heart breaks. Not sure I can finish out the season watching.

[@Susan-hc1nq]

I am truly with all of you..I understand wild animals etc. I do.I know it's a privilege to see this and it may have happened without us watching. It's been a rough few years for everyone on this planet. I cannot justify this nor forget the heartbreak. 856 reaction? I wondered about it and was right. God help us all

[@gfc_in_the_oh9067]

I can feel his sadness, and it adds to my own. 402 was such a beautiful bear. These bears have affected my life in a way that I didn't think was possible. Sending much love to my bear cam family. Time for some self care. Thank you for posting this.

[@luluseatowngetdown6251]

Sending love back to you bear fam❤️

[@girlboss7807]

💔 We are all grieving with 856. 402 is his true love. 💔 😔 🧸🤍🕊️

[@fredmertz474]

Did he pass you a note in class telling you so?

[@ManyaP64]

@@fredmertz474 my community, my rules: don’t be a dick. You are being a dick.

[@sashamaclean]

@@ManyaP64 👏🙌❤️

[@matthirt7863]

This is a tough time for everybody who has been a regular bear cam viewer, or has visited Brooks Camp in the last 15 years (as I have - a life changing experience, I might add). 402 was a Brooks River fixture. That said, I believe we should appreciate and respect these bears for what they are, amazing wild animals living in a harsh environment...not characters in some anthropomorphizing romance novel playing out on a computer screen. We have no idea what goes on in a bear's head, and declaring one bear another bear's "true love" is pure conjecture, and factually incorrect (given that bears live very promiscuous lives and that 856 viciously attacked 402 in 2011 and killed one of her cubs, among other things). We do know bears have an incredible sense of smell and that they do remember other bears, although it's not clear how, and for how long. Given these facts, I think it's likely that 856 continues to visit the site because he senses that the body of a bear he knew lies there. But even this is conjecture, strictly speaking, because from an objective point of view, her body represents a huge amount of calories...which is why 32 has claimed it and is guarding it pretty much non-stop, according to ranger reports. Of course, we are all allowed to grieve in whichever way we choose, but in a time like this, I think it's useful to remember that wild nature is worth respecting and admiring on its own terms. One could even argue that that's the way to truly honor 402's legacy. ❤

[@LABoyce]

Thank you for sharing this ManyaP. We will never know what is going through 856’s mind but it’s very humbling to see him so gentle and respectful of 402’s body. She is surely missed as she’s lived such a beautiful bear life and we have been so lucky to witness and learn from her time on earth. ❤

[@CKSWQ13]

This was beautiful to watch. It reminded me of 451 sitting vigil for her dying cub. His grief was as palpable as hers and her surviving cub's.

[@violetg7315]

Heartbreaking for 856 and all of us. Beautiful Brooke is resting In peace!

[@crisam8vo]

Just when I thought my tears were done for the day 😢 I agree ManyaP, animals do feel grief, & it does appear 856 is experiencing it in this moment. Heartbreaking 💔

[@cjblevins2619]

The way he keeps looking back at her as he's leaving 😢

[@joycekirkpatrick4503]

This was so tragic. Thak you. I know he is grieving.

[@babskramer528]

I think they understand and feel much more than we give them credit for💕😢

[@cy0967]

Thank you @ManyaP for sharing this beautiful tribute of 856 honoring one beautiful bear, 402. It's a beautiful site, to wake up to. I almost didn't watch it, because my tears would start to flow, and they are, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to mourn with everyone and 856. 💔🌈

[@GiovaAmores]

I’m so so sad. I’ve been holding my tears all week but with this I couldn’t. I’m beyond hurt about this nonsense dead, I’m angry, and I feel so helpless and have so much sorrow. This video got me 😭😭 my beloved 402 ❤

[@taramcbrearty2918]

God bless you 856 we are with you we are learning so much about these bears through the cams yes they need to be tough to survive but they are capable of bonding and grieving too she is now our spirit bear❤ she did not deserve this it is hard when life seems unfair i will rely on my faith today

[@jenlat3887]

I wondered if he would go to her and he did. Love 856 and to me this shows that bears do mourn in their own way.

[@SweetShharade]

Thank you so much for your kind dedication to this community I haven't watched The Video yet and I don't know if I ever will, but this helped. Even though it's sad. 856's grief touched my own. That we can see ourselves in bears is one of the greatest gifts of Katmai. I just feel the need to say that the work you do for the community is important and deeply appreciated. Thank you

[@ManyaP64]

@@SweetShharade you’re very welcome. Sending love and light.

[@tracylev118]

Crying more now then when she was killed. So heartbreaking. He will set a great example for us, grieving but moving on with his life.

[@mangopie13]

This footage hits me hard. I was at a loss, unable to comprehend, and probably still in denial since the news broke, but with 856 grieving, it all became real that 402 is gone and I cried hard. I always believed that bears are way more intelligent than we give them credit for, their emotions and grief are just expressed differently. I am still unable to comprehend why 402 has to go through such tragic death and I hate that 856 has to deal with the tragedy that his love is gone 💔🕯️

[@cy0967]

It's quite clear that I he's in duress. So sad to see this. I know that bears have emotions, remembering Grazer's search for her cub after it went over the falls I could feel her desperation as she searched the riffles area, and not soon after, she went on her walkabout. Such a sad day😢, yesterday, for me, and it's carried on into today.

[@bextra1968]

Thank you for this even tho it’s sad. We all grieve with 856 💔

[@michelleflack-webb8442]

Oh Manya THIS is so sad to see - regardless if in nature/circle of life..I know what great pride and honor you have for the bears and ‘salmon time’ on the river. Please know all the way over n down in a little town of Pennsylvania(Penn State) this mama is thinking of you and the amazing work and dedication you do. I am so very sorry for this horribly sad loss of Mama Queen of River🤲🏼🌬️🦋🕊️

[@Reneevc]

I am destroyed by this loss. Please wrap me in bear love friends. Other people don't understand why I'm so emotional.

[@jenniferb2164]

Sending you hugs and love. So heartbreaking😢

[@ManyaP64]

@@Reneevc sending you love and light. You are free to grieve here on my YT community. No judgment if you feel anger or frustration or sadness. You are safe here.

[@ElyseF00]

💖🌷🙏

[@ОльгаГлазьева-м1ч]

Душа болит а сердце плачет, очень жаль

[@lindagsmith3702]

I didn’t find out about what happened to sweet 402 until about 4 am. I am devastated. 😢And now, watching 856 with her body, and clearly seeing he is no doubt grieving over his lady bear love…I just can’t. 😭 💔

[@Katherine_2]

Oh ManyaP, I just found out about 402, my heart is absolutely broken, really broken. I know yours is too. I just want to send you my love and tell you what I can’t tell myself at the moment. “Be strong, I know life is hard for us but we will get thru it, each day the pain will ease a tiny bit and all we’ll have left is the love and wonderful memories from each loss” Sending you my hugs 🥰

[@Jas-sq5er]

The sadness that overwhelmed me. Again, I cry 😢 😭 so much again, again. This season, the bear community ❤ greaves unexpectedly from 2 great losses. I'm distraught 😢💔. My heart is overwhelmed by 856. My thoughts go to 402jr. 402 surely leaves behind a legacy we will cherish her always ❤️ 💔😭🙏🏽

[@RebeccaKates]

The loss is tragic, and this is heartbreaking😪

[@beatricecallan]

She was his big love of his life and…..I think he’s mourning her loss now…..😢❤ …..tears rolling down my cheeks while writing this…..

[@dlwoodikf]

Oh how very sad! It is nature but still so hard to see and accept.😢

[@altsticksman1951]

That broke me; managed to go all day composed. But seeing 856 like this just made it real. The probable father of my two favorites; 812 and 503. And their mother gone like that. Two or three years ago 856 walked over to where 503 was fishing, and just sat down a few feet away. He scared 503 at first, but 856 just sat there. 856 has a special soul. He is not the beast some people think he is.💔

[@nancygoerlich8526]

I agree that 856 is almost certainly the father of 812 and 503. The resemblances and the lip licking clinch it for me. And I miss 812 so much. Now dear 402 to be gone in such a heartbreaking way is hard to process. She was a joy to watch and has left a huge and enduring legacy.

[@Fancyday23]

I also miss 812 and used to love seeing him hang out with 503. I've also come to appreciate and respect 856 more and more over the years. So deeply saddened by what happened to the beautiful 402.

[@ikejennings1154]

402 left a legacy of offspring 503/101/ 102/ 103, & so on This year 503/ 101 have bean at the falls! She'll be missed, but, a couple that ive seen, 503/ 101 are at the falls in 2024. Thats the postive in this bears passing!😊

[@lanelles242]

So sad was this whole situation and now 856 more grief 💔

[@kimberlycakes299]

He was just there again, just sniffing, staring, and pacing.

[@juanita5344]

As a human who love animals. Not knowing who was the lost bear and not even having a thought it would be a momma bear😢. Im shook. I understand the dynamics of these animals but its still sad because we learn about them and watched them. Every time a bear show up I quickly go to the bear book to read. Yea im sad.

[@sashamaclean]

Thank you ManyaP for this touching time of mourning for 856 🙏🐻💔😪🫂

[@jagriggle1662]

This is very sad. His lady is gone❤😢⚘

[@kims.7829]

So sad😢

[@psycho4agY]

Just when I thought I was done crying!😭 I wondered if 856 would notice or discover what happened to his love 402. This is beyond heartbreaking. 😭😭😭😭😭I’m still in shock that it really happened.

[@CynthiaEllis21]

😢 remember a week or so ago when 856 woke 402 up from her nap on the spit? And we joked that he must have mistaken her for a boar! 😊 I rewatched a clip of that last night and saw they didn’t yell at one another…just kind of recognized each other, like, oh, it’s you. We’re good. It’s hard to not anthropomorphize when we know their personalities and histories. I’ll miss her confusing viewers with her big boar-like appearance and I’ll miss her butt-in-the-air diving technique.

[@LaVidaDeDSR]

@@CynthiaEllis21 That recent clip you referenced was so telling of the relationship between those two and I think we can extrapolate that to an insight into what we would always wish to see...a sort of goodness in the wild bear world🐻🌹

[@srvntlilly]

@@CynthiaEllis21 Her diving technique was so unique and adorable, when her hind feet would stick out of the water. I've never seen another bear do that.

[@SCMesa]

I can’t 😭💔😭😭😭💔

[@ghostinthemachine8243]

Makes me wonder what might have been if Otis had returned this year. The presence of the wise old King of the Falls could've had a calming effect on the rest of the bears. Pleasant Journey to all the loved and lost this year.

[@daezeechayne462]

thank you for this

[@glittergrl71]

I am totally gutted now. 💔

[@honeybee1888]

He looked back...more than once.

[@robingastonia]

Animals do have hearts too. I just found out about this on the news. I could not believe it. It is just so sad. I had quit watching because I could not handle it when Grazier's cubs got killed. It is so heartbreaking, I could not handle the actual dangers that animals go through in the wild, I know it is just nature. You have to accept the good with the bad. My heart is even more broken now. I miss the bears, I do love them so much, but I just could not handle it. I will be back next spring to watch and love the bears once again. I need time to heal especially after this. Take care all you bear fans. I wonder what our bears will do in the North Carolina mountains with all the damage from the storm. I live in North Carolina in the Charlotte area and it is so heartbreaking all the damage they have suffered. I would love to know from Mike Fitz what our local bears will do in our mountain counties with so much damage for food during hibernation. I do not think I can handle anymore sadness right now.

[@susanwood8495]

402 was 856s Kryptonite.💔😭

[@LaVidaDeDSR]

I was just going to mention something I just saw that someone else did and that's if the rangers have seen this and if they will officially address the obvious and emotionally charged physical response of 856?! He's clearly triggered with the bowed head followed by sustained in place rocking. And no, this is not anthropomorphic but an informed educated analysis of non-verbal communication observed here...

[@sashamaclean]

Totally agree..he was so ritualistic in his stance of rocking with his head bowed 💔😪🐻🫂

[@stephaniehoover2423]

856's behavior is reminiscent of an orca here in the Pacific Northwest, Tahlequah. In 2018, she carried her deceased calf all around the Salish Sea, nudging her with her nose, for days in grief. Animals also feel loss and grieve in their own ways.

[@srvntlilly]

@@stephaniehoover2423 Oh my gosh, here I go crying again and I never knew this poor Mama whale. 😢🐋

[@cy0967]

Manya, do you know if Mike Fitz has seen this video? I feel like he and Naomi and the Rangers need to be informed of 856s reaction.

[@BeiremulenHandakuter]

*Emotional video..*

[@BackyardSwingset]

I'm wondering if this happens more often than we see when they go off to den. Older bears getting a sort of bear dementia and desperation on top of the hyperphagia at the end and turning to predation on each other. Thanks for your post, trying to make 'sense' of it to settle our minds and human emotions surely helps me.

[@matthirt7863]

I think it's likely that this is more common than we think, especially in areas where the bears are not as well fed as they are on the salmon rich Brooks River. I wouldn't call it "dementia" though. I think it's really just their survival instinct kicking in. Any bear that doesn't ingest enough calories this time of the year won't survive hibernation. That's the harsh truth of their lives in this amazing, *wild* place. Both 402 and 469 were/are well past the *average* lifespan of a bear in Katmai NP, which is about 20 years. Survival gets tougher for them as they get older...

[@Widfarend]

Dang ☹️ Was hoping to feel better today… and don’t.. and then seeing this 💔

[@ОльгаГлазьева-м1ч]

Душа болит а сердце плачет, очень жаль что случилась такое горе 4:45 4:45

[@amurpher]

Just to clarify. That's Walker from 3:18 till the end of this video?

[@kimmctamney6177]

Would love to hear Mike Fitz's take on this 😢

[@brandiehvizdzak8477]

So heartbreaking. Do we know how much of her was left? Sorry if that is graphic, just curious if other bears visited her remains.

[@Irishwabbit59]

I noticed a paw on the beach when they zoomed in

[@ManyaP64]

@@brandiehvizdzak8477 32 took over possession of the cache after scaring off 469. It’s unlikely that other bears were able to get near it with Chunk around. But who knows?

[@skytitan79]

😢💔

[@lasteniarodriguez8680]

What happened with 402

[@demery39]

so sad , wish I didnt watch it .......................(the fight)

[@HS-ob3fz]

did he kill to eat her?!

[@matthirt7863]

That's the assumption given the prolonged nature of the attack.

[@gwendelk]

If we didn't know any of the bears involved, would people see 856's actions differently? Would you maybe just see a bear catching wind of another bear's food cache but being discouraged from full investigation because the cache is being guarded? Granted, I've never understood the whole "856 and 402 are in love" thing -- I don't doubt that bears feel emotions or that they can recognize each other, but I don't think it's fair to interpret what we see based on how we as humans process and experience emotions, without due consideration for what it means to be a bear and a boar in particular. (I don't know that we can actually see or truly know where 402's body is in that area, which makes it even harder to interpret 856's movements.)

[@matthirt7863]

I agree, a lot of anthropomorphizing going on. But it's understandable. I first visited Broks Camp in 2010, before the cams were established, and the one thing that struck me most is how these bears were not just "random animals", but had distinctive behaviors, "personalities" not to mention they all look different. This comes over clearly on the cams, and I think because the cams sort of reduce the bears to "characters on a screen", the tendency to anthromorphize is a lot stronger than when you see them in person, in the wild. And when you experience how long it takes to get there, and how remote Brooks Camp actually is, surrounded by a giant wilderness.

[@mollistan]

Where is her body?

[@ManyaP64]

@@mollistan out of sight of the cameras. One of the park rangers saw her being dragged to the beach on his way in to work on Monday.

[@HoldYourHorses4]

I feel like 402 was sick. My Newfie had Leukemia and we did not know until he would not move. Several days before my other Newf had gone after him a few times. Newfie’s are so gentle and they never fought so this was uncharacteristic of my dogs. I am no expert but 856 smelled the ground where 402 was sitting in that video. I joked it was a mating check in. I guess we will never fully understand. One thing I do know for sure is that my ❤ will stay full of 402 fond memories. 😢

[@matthirt7863]

I think that's definitely a possibility. In the wild, sick and old animals often become victims of predation. She lived to 26 1/2 years; 20 years is the average lifespan of a bear in Katmai. And 8 litters of cubs, including quads twice! Can you imagine the immense amount of energy that takes...

[@13mrpink]

:(

[@AzDesertFoxx]

Isn't grief an emotion? Nature is tough sometimes.

[@ManyaP64]

@@AzDesertFoxx grief is a process, sadness is an emotion. We do know animals grieve and the concept that mammals do is actually fairly recent. I was interviewing a zoologist back in my reporter days and asked about it - and he remarked that they had only recently begun to note that they indeed do grieve or mourn the loss of a known mate, “friend”, etc. There are some videos here of one of the mama bears crying out in grief after one of her cubbies drowned on the lower river (I can’t remember which), and another with 451 grieving when her cubbie died a few years back. It’s interesting behavior and I would love to read up more on it. How is AZ these days? Those triple digits seem to be like gum on a shoe…

[@debdew7125]

Sad watching 856 looking for his 🎶Lady Love🎶 ~Lou Rawls. I hope he is able to move on with her gone.🥺💔 Thanks for sharing ManyaP. Take care💜🫂💙

[@billyjack9010]

You people are weird. Bears don't fall in love with one another. They eat, sleep, shit and mate, nothing more, nothing less.

[@ManyaP64]

@@billyjack9010 Hey, troll, need a hobby or something? Get a life, dirtbag.

[@IhaveNoPatienceForIdiotsAndLia]

Love? He killed one of her cubs in 2011.

[@ManyaP64]

@@IhaveNoPatienceForIdiotsAndLia he’s a bear. And let people grieve.

[@IhaveNoPatienceForIdiotsAndLia]

@@ManyaP64 That isn't the point. I of course understand people's need to grieve (I am just like I grieved for when 856 killed one of her cubs) but I just thinking it's hard to think Love has anything to do with it when this very same 856 killed one of her cubs in 2011. That is totally inconsistent with love. Like Naomi said we shouldn't anthropomorphize that situation and assuming that 856 went to where 32 was with 402's body is anthropomorphize the situation.