A bedraggled hiker who appeared to be lost on a southern Alaskan mountainside was rescued after he was spotted asking for help via a wildlife camera that is ordinarily used to spot fat bears.
Rangers at Katmai National Park and Preserve sprang into action to look for the man after Bear Cam viewers saw him approach the camera on Tuesday.
While there was no audio, viewers who were able to read his lips said he appeared to be asking for help.
“There is someone distressed on the camera,” someone posted in the comments section of Explore.org, which was running the video feed.
Explore then notified park rangers.
On X, formerly Twitter, Explore posted a video of the man, whose identity has not been released, as well as rangers helping him off the mountain. He appeared to be cold and wet.
The camera forms part of a network that are viewed by thousands of people during Fat Bear Week, an annual competition in which wildlife lovers select their favourite grizzly as it chunks up ahead of winter hibernation.
Last year's winner was Bear 747, a creature so big it was named after a jumbo jet.
Alaska brown bears – in pictures
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435 Holly. Photo: NPS Photo -
747. Photo: NPS Photo -
284. Photo: NPS Photo -
128 Grazer. Photo: NPS Photo -
151 Walker. Photo: NPS Photo -
32 chunk. Photo: NPS Photo -
Otis the bear weighs more than 450 kilograms. Reuters -
Bear 747 was named after the jumbo airliner. Photo: of L Law -
Bear 856 is one of the most dominant bears in his habitat in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Photo: L Law -
Bear 164 was first identified as a sub-adult in 2019 and is about 6 years old. Photo: T Carmack -
Otis the bear has won Fat Bear week four times. Photo: L Law -
This photo shows a rotund Bear 901 as voters select the fattest bear in Alaska. Photo: L Law -
Bear 854, named Divot, hunts for salmon in the river. Photo: K Moore -
Bear 435, named Holly, is just 2.5 years old. Photo: E Johnston -
This photograph shows a slimmed-down version of Bear 435. Photo: T Carmack -
Bear 335 is from Holly the bear's most recent litter, the NPS said. Photo: K Moore -
Bear 32, named Chunk, is one of the most dominant bears in the falls, the US National Park Service said. Photo: L Law -
Bear 32 searches for fish in the river. Photo: L Law -
Bear 151 hopes to catch a fresh salmon as it bulks up for winter. Photo: L Law -
Bear 854, named Divot, prowls the falls in Alaska. Photo: K Moore -
Bear 128, named Grazer, is one of the more dominant female bears in the falls, the NPS said. Photo: L Law -
Bear 128, like all of Alaska's brown bears, has put on considerable weight before hibernation season. Photo: L Law -
This photo shows a slimmed-down Otis. Photo: C Rohdenberg -
Bear 856 is about 20 years old. Photo: C Rohdenberg -
This photo shows a slimmed-down Bear 747. Photo: C Rohdenberg -
Votes are being cast in the US to determine which bear will win Fat Bear Week 2022. Photo: T Carmack -
More than 800,000 votes were cast in last year's Fat Bear Week. Photo: T Carmack -
Bear 335 struts around Katmai National Park in Alaska. Photo: T Carmack -
Leaner times: Otis the bear stands in a river at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Reuters -
Otis, known for his flappy right ear, does not let his missing teeth deter him from chowing down on fresh salmon. Reuters -
Brown bear cub 128, front, stands by a river fattening up before hibernation at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Reuters -
Brown bear cub 909 is getting ready for hibernation season by fattening up before its months-long rest. Reuters -
Brown bear 503 stands in a river hunting for salmon to fatten up before hibernation at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Reuters -
Brown bear 128 stands in a river hunting for salmon. Reuters -
Brown bear 435. Grizzlies are omnivores that also gorge on berries. Reuters -
Brown bears used to roam widely across the US. Now they are found only in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. AP
