In “The Last Neanderthal”, a novel by Claire Cameron that I am currently reading, isolated Neanderthal families meet at a waterfall in the summer for the salmon run. It is an opportunity to fish, socialize and mate.

Summer meeting place

Neanderthals gather

at the waterfall

Bears also attend and the two species allow each other a respectful distance.

Intrigued by the idea of bears catching salmon in a waterfall, I found this YouTube video showing a brown bear fishing at Brook Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska:

Autumn salmon run

annual fishing event

hosted by grizzlies

~

I couldn’t resist also sharing the Wikipedia paragraphs, below. They describe how salmon and bears have a significant impact on local ecology (the fascinating web of life):

In the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, salmon is a keystone species, supporting wildlife from birds to bears and otters.[62] The bodies of salmon represent a transfer…