Who says kids don't copy the grown-ups? The brown bear cubs who can't resist imitating their enormous parents

By Keith Gladdis


Looks like fun: The brown bear cubs watch their parents butting heads as they play in Alaska

When your parents are wild Alaskan grizzly bears, it’s generally a good idea to be on your best behaviour.

But when mum and dad start to wrestle, these two brown bear cubs know it’s time to have some fun.

As their parents butted heads, the youngsters locked each other in a furry embrace for a stand-up tussle.

Clash of the titans: One of the bears gets behind the other as their huge parents square up to each other

They then pushed themselves apart in a gesture seen in many a playful scrap between children over the years.

American photographer Daniel J Cox, 52, captured the two-year-old cubs as they enjoyed family time on the coast of mainland Alaska.

Despite the bears being powerful hunters, he was able to get close enough to the creatures to photograph them for hours.


The fur flies: The youngsters tussle in the grass (left) while one holds the other at paw's length (right) as he pushes them apart


Come ear! The pair tussle for supremacy as as the wrestling bout becomes more serious....

Beary tired: But they soon become affectionate after exhausting themselves in game of rough and tumble

He said: ‘People love seeing bears because they are cute and cuddly looking.

‘Brown bears along the coast of Alaska are not hunted like they are in other areas of this US state.

‘So they are much more tolerant of humans – but my long-range lens still helps.’

Each spring, wild brown bears head to the saltwater flats along the Alaskan coast to feed on protein-filled grasses.

Grizzly bears are one of nature’s success stories – despite being hunted in some parts of the US, there are more than 33,000 still living in the wild.


Copy cub: One of the baby bears also takes his turn to rest on the grass after an arduous day


Time for a stretch: One of hte bears relaxes in the grass after a hard day of play with his sibling


A helping paw: One of the cubs appears to be trying to push his mother up after she slumps on the ground


Cuddly: The bears may look very cute but they will soon be as deadly as their parents



source:dailymail