AI Image
Arrow the fearless black bear doesn’t care if a foe is bigger
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- The U.S. Forest Service at Tongass National Forest has awarded a black bear named Arrow with the 2026 Honey Badger Award for his fearless behavior despite a limp from a past injury.
- Arrow challenged and successfully backed down two larger brown bears at Anan Creek, a notable feat given the usual dominance of brown bears over black bears due to size differences.
- Tongass National Forest, the largest in the U.S. covering much of Southeast Alaska, hosts the Anan Bear Awards recognizing 39 bears observed at the Anan Wildlife Observatory during summer.
- Anan Creek is a key site with one of the largest pink salmon runs in Southeast Alaska, attracting 31 black bears and eight brown bears who return annually to feed and teach survival skills to their cubs.
- Each bear at Anan Creek displays unique behaviors and characteristics, similar to the well-studied bears in Katmai National Park known for their salmon-feeding habits.
