Watch as 2 male Alaskan grizzly bears fight in an epic battle

Two male grizzly bears stand on their hind legs in a fight. A river and mountain are in the background. — A screenshot of two male grizzly bears fighting during mating season. (Image credit: Brad Josephs)

A wildlife photographer in Alaska caught two massive male grizzly bears on video in what he said was "the longest, most intense bear interaction I have ever witnessed."

On May 8, Brad Josephs was visiting Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in southern Alaska when he caught the two grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) going head-to-head in a show of dominance during mating season, according to Outside magazine. The fight wasn't between equals, either; one male was larger and older while the other was smaller and younger, according to PetaPixel.

"It just kept going and going,” Josephs told Outside magazine. “I was astounded by the determination and stamina of both bears as they battled for mating season dominance rights."

On average, grizzly bears stand at 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) tall at the shoulder when on all fours, but can reach a height of nearly 9 feet (2.7 m) on their hind legs. Male grizzly bears can weigh up to 860 pounds (390 kilograms).

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Mating season for the bears usually runs from May through July and it's not uncommon for larger males to chase away smaller males, while "evenly-matched" males will fight for dominance as seen in this video, according to the North American Bear Center.

At the end of the video, one of the bears admits defeat and backs down by bowing his head in submission.