We were driving through Kootenay National Park on our way to Radium, B.C. when we came upon a mother black bear and her two cubs. It was early morning, about 8:00 am, a good time of day to spot bears. Kudos to Rolande for sighting them. They were grazing along the edge of the forest about 25 meters from the road, so I was able to get some pretty good close-ups through the car window. For awhile I wondered if I would even get a look from them, let alone a smile. They were very intent on their eating and paid no heed whatsoever to our presence. The fun in wildlife photography is to catch your subject doing something unusual or something to show its character. I had to wait patiently for a picture showing more than three bears with their heads down.
I would have really liked a family portrait, but this was the best I could get of the three of them together. One bear face and two black lumps! The little one on the left proved to be quite precocious and appears in just about all the pictures. That’s a more shy sibling in the middle and of course, Mama Bear on the right.
Mama was very nice looking black bear. She even managed to look my way as she later shepherded her cubs along in search of some more food. She was not threatened by our presence and made no effort to move her cubs off into the bush. I imagine they are quite accustomed to roadside gawkers. Hunting is not legal in the national parks, so they have not likely faced the experience of being shot at.
This little bear tried its hand at tree climbing, briefly. Very briefly. I didn’t hear what Mama had to say, but I suspect it went a little like this, “Grrrr, geddown!”. I was lucky to get a shot in the brief time this cub was on its way up the tree.
After about 15 minutes, the family moved on. They were traveling in the opposite direction we were, so we bid them goodbye, thankful for the opportunity to have seen them. We enjoyed a brief glimpse at how they live and interact. Most of the time, they were eating. I guess the expression “hungry as a bear” came about for a reason. The adult bears eat constantly to build reserves of fat for the winter hibernation. The cubs need lots to eat to fuel their growth as well as preparing for hibernation.
My last shot is for those who like cute little bear cubs. This is the precocious one again, the poster bear for cute and cuddly (for now!).
Loved all of the shots Peter, as usual, but loved the photos of the bears, especially the one trying to climb the tree. Just where did he/she think they were going?