River rapids in North American

Civic Museum of Natural History, Milano
Civic Museum of Natural History, Milano

 

The Diorama reproduces a section of McNeil River that is placed in “McNeil River Game Sanctuary” park, on North – West USA (about 100 kilometres from Anchorage city). The river is made of glaciers and lakes water; these are placed along Aleutine mountain chain of Alaska. The area is wild and it is difficult for man to get there; in 1967 it became a Park and this decision was taken to protect the biggest concentration of brown bear of the World (happened to see even 72 bears at the same time). During the months of July and August, bears are used to concentrate in particular areas near the river where rocks create waterfalls and rapids. Here they can find a lot of food, especially salmon that are used to return upstream to find places for reproduction. However, salmon migration is obstruct by waterfalls; salmon, therefore, end up around rocks and bears can easier catch fishes.