During a recent trip to Yellowstone National Park I was fortunate to have discovered a vantage point from which to observe a budding grizzly bear family at fairly close range.
The first video highlight shows two first-year cubs play fighting and momma grizzly stepping in with an affectionate head nudge.
(The footage, best viewed in full-screen, was captured safely from atop a steep embankment. Images are cropped, making the bears appear closer than they were.)
In the second clip, the same cubs discover the precarious nature of crossing a creek while trying to keep up with mom. (Cute bellyflops, anyone?)
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These were the first of several bears I would encounter during three days of exploration in the park’s northern range. I observed this family in early morning on Day 1 and in late afternoon on Day 2.
Momma bear foraged intently while the cubs mostly played and explored.
Naturally, the bears attracted crowds of tourists who jammed the highway. People rushed from vehicles to find vantage points and gaze at the bears with binoculars, zoom lenses, viewing scopes, and cellphone cameras.
A park bear management specialist explained that momma bears sometimes guide cubs close to roads to keep them safe from aggressive male bears. Male bears, known to kill cubs in the hope of mating with momma bears, tend to steer clear of park highways.
The cubs of the year (COYs) were tiny, born during mom’s hibernation, likely in late January or early February.
Momma bear did not appear concerned about threats from the forest or the highway. Her cubs would run off for brief periods, but always scampered back to the safety zone that she represented.
At one point, as momma bear inspected something in the bushes, the pesky cubs were placed in what resembled a “time out” on a smooth rock.
In a touching moment during the first sighting, in smoky morning light, momma bear called the cubs into her embrace to nurse.
More than an hour into the second sighting, with dusk settling and the bear jam having reached absurd proportions, I decided to leave. (Bear management specialists were just beginning to “shut down” the viewing party.)
As I drove west, navigating around poorly parked vehicles, I looked down the embankment and saw the bears walking into cover. It was as if they had also experienced enough for one day.
–Images courtesy of ©Pete Thomas
