The men were sentenced last week for the incident in 2018 which saw them wade into the Brooks River at the Katmai National Park and interrupt the salmon-loving bears’ dinner.

Mark Sturm, the superintendent of Katmai, said: “These individuals behaved carelessly and put themselves at great risk. Brown bears are fierce, territorial predators, especially when concentrated to feed on migrating salmon.”

David Engelman, 56, Ronald J Engelman, 54, and Steven Thomas, 30 were fined $9,000 and jailed for between seven and 10 days.

S Lane Tucker, the state attorney, said: “The conduct of these three individuals not only endangered other visitors and wildlife officers at Brooks Falls, they also potentially endangered the life of the bears.”