During my first ever visit to Alaska, we traveled to Denali National Park and took a day long bus ride into the interior of the park. Mount Denali was free of clouds, the sky was completely clear and bright blue, and the view and massiveness of Mount Denali was amazing. As we rode along, a fellow passenger yelled out “Bear”. On a rock outcropping maybe 200 yards off the driver’s side of the bus there was a bear beginning a descent of the rock face. About 100 feet below the bear was a large nest on a small ledge. For the next 15 minutes we watched two falcons fly up into the air and divebomb this bear, trying to keep it from the nest and the baby falcons. This battle within nature unfolding before our eyes was truly amazing. The falcons’ efforts to save their babies was unyielding. As much as we wanted the falcon parents to win, in the end, the bear won this battle. I had a front seat to an event in nature that was as remarkable as the wonders of nature on the old Wild Kingdom or today’s National Geographic.  

Return to Previous Page