Battle of the bear-knuckle boxers: Heavyweight clash caught on camera after one grizzly stole his rival's lunch

By KERRY MCDERMOTT

Bear fight: The two grizzly bears stood on their hind legs as they tussled in the forest in Alaska

These incredible images show two mighty grizzly bears engaged in claw to claw combat - after one tried to swipe a salmon the other had caught for its lunch.
The photographer who stumbled across the aggressive scene in a national park in Alaska said he felt like a 'dead man walking' as he watched the enormous creatures do battle just three metres away from him.
Shogo Asao, 60, said the roars of the brown bears - who each towered at around 8ft tall on their hind legs - echoed around the forest as they clawed and bit one another in the wilderness.

The bear on the left appears to duck down on all fours before drawing himself up to full height again as the battle rages

Food fight: The fight broke out after one of the bears took a salmon the other had caught to eat, photographer Shogo Asao said

Aggression: The bear on the left appears to dominate after landing a swipe on its rival

Mr Asao, 60, was making his way to a waterfall in Katmai National Park - famous for its brown bears - when the tussle broke out.
'Suddenly, I saw two bears watching each other and roaring,' he said.
'They quickly began fighting wildly, without noticing that I was very near to them. One ran away until it was just three metres in front of me, and the other chased it at full speed.

Force: The photographer stumbled across the scene as he walked towards a waterfall in Katmai National Park, Alaska - which is known for its brown bears

Retaliation: The bear on the right fights back and manages to land a blow on the nose of the other grizzly

'They were roaring, beating, clawing and chasing each other.'
The professional photographer whipped out his camera to capture the showdown.
'This is the first time I had seen such an exciting scene,' he said. 'I was so close to the violent animals that I felt like a dead man walking.'

Stand-off: The grizzly on the right launches itself off the ground as it grapples with the other bear

'Violent': The 60-year-old photographer said the roars from the two bears echoed around the forest as they fought

The battling bears both towered at around 8ft tall when standing on their hind legs, photographer Shogo Asao said

The two grizzlies - thought to be around six years old - exchanged blows for a few minutes before moving into the trees and continuing to fight, then disappearing from the photographer's view.
Mr Asao, who lives in Tokyo, Japan, said: 'Female bears usually hunt salmon at isolated places away from the waterfall.
'They have to take care of their babies and want to avoid fighting.
'After seeing this, I understand why,' he added.

source: dailymail