Grisly selfie: Man risks life jumping into water with feeding bears

Two Alaska residents and a tourist could face charges for violating wildlife rules after one of the men waded into a river to photograph brown bears as they fed on salmon.

National Park Service officials said the three individuals entered a closed area below Brooks Falls at the Katmai National Park and Preserve Thursday evening around 6.50pm as at least five bears were feeding.

Officials said one man came within 50 yards of the bears. The incident was also caught on the park's explore.org bear cam.

In the video, the man is seen wading in the water as the bears stand near a small waterfall catching fish.

TThree men could face charges for violating wildlife rules after one of the men waded into a river to photograph brown bears as they fed on salmon. Photo / NPS

The man, who has not been identified, was seen taking out his camera to photograph the brown bears, the MailOnline reported.

He stops to take a selfie, walks a bit farther out and then squats down to put his hands in the water.

The man takes one last photo before walking out of the water.

A wildlife lover is facing criminal after being caught on camera getting 'too close' to feeding brown bears. Photo / NPS

Wildlife officials said the group violated National Park Service wildlife viewing regulations by putting themselves and wildlife at risk.

Immediately after the incident, Katmai rangers received multiple reports from concerned visitors and viewers who observed the violation on the bear cam.

The group was contacted by park rangers and charges are pending.

Details on their identities will be released when charges are finalised.

"People need to recognise that these are wild brown bears. These visitors are lucky that they escaped the situation without injury. The possible consequences for the bears and themselves could have been disastrous,' superintendent, Mark Sturm, said in a statement.

In Katmai, approaching within 50 yards of a bear using a concentrated food source, like migrating or spawning salmon, is prohibited.

Because of concentrated bear activity at Brooks Falls, area closures are in place from June 15 through August 15, in order to allow bears access to essential food resources that allow them to survive through the winter.

These closures help prevent negative bear-human interactions.

Katmai National Park and Preserve provides elevated viewing platforms at Brooks Camp to facilitate a safer atmosphere for thousands of visitors from around the world to observe wild brown bears in their natural environment.

The park relies on visitors to adhere to park regulations to protect themselves and bears.

The incident comes after two July incidents involving Katmai bears.

One bear pawed a visitor's pant leg after approaching the individual, and a second bear that was being chased by another bear pawed an employee of Katmailand's Brooks Lodge.