Grizzly bears wait to pounce on leaping salmon

MOTIONLESS, with beady black eyes fixed in anticipation, the grizzly bears pounce as a Pacific salmon leaps from the frothy waters of the powerful Brooks Falls in British Columbia, Canada.
Every autumn, the bears - which weigh over half a ton each - make their way down the steep, snow-covered slopes of the mountains towards the coast in search of food before winter sets in.
Dozens of the animals crowd around to wait for natures feast - thousands of Pacific salmon making their way upstream to spawn. Some of the grizzlies are poised to catch the salmon in mid-air as they leap an astonishing 10ft to get over the falls.
Other bears prefer to sit patiently in the plunge pool below and pin the fish beneath their paws before diving into the waters.
The bears then bite off the salmons head, strip the skin and discard much of the meat. This is done to get to the high-fat and high-calorie parts such as the brain and eggs.
The half-devoured salmon is often left for others - and later seagulls, grey wolves and bald eagles make good use of the leftovers. This is just one of the spectacular scenes from The Great Salmon Run, part of Sir David Attenboroughs magnificent TV series, Natures Great Events starting next weekend. DM
From the greening of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the annual melting of the Arctic, these stunning BBC documentaries reveal some of the worlds most remarkable natural wonders, using the latest technology to produce
astonishing pictures.
Cameraman Jeff Turner revealed how he chose a high-definition remote camera with underwater housing along with an ultra-high-speed camera to capture the bears as they trapped the salmon.
Another mobile camera suspended from a helicopter recorded for the first time a mother bear teaching her cubs how to feast.
Collect the first of the seven DVDs, The Great Melt, with next Saturdays Daily Mail. The Great Salmon Run is free with The Mail on Sunday next weekend.