|
Post by brobear on Jun 23, 2022 1:51:12 GMT -5
Along Came Snow On a spring day in June of 2015, the cutest little blonde grizzly cub made its way down a mountain in Yellowstone. This cub was accompanied by its mom, Raspberry, and one sibling. At that time, no one knew this little blonde bear would become one of the most loved, and most photographed bears of its time. The light coloring of this cub was very unique, and while park officials shy away from naming bears, because of the coloring, this cub was given the name Snow. I'm not sure whether it was a photographer or a visitor who came up with the name, but it fit perfectly. Just like all young grizzlies, this little one was mischievous, playful, and full of trouble. After its sibling, who had been called Rocky, disappeared, Raspberry became its new best friend. Grizzly sows are very protective of their cubs and they are on high alert watching for danger at all times. Because of this, its not very often that you will see them playing with their cubs. Raspberry, however, was different. She loved to play, and no one played with their cub the way that she did. These two would spend hours playing together. They would wrestle and roll, bite, full out swat each other, climb over logs, and Raspberry would even grab Snow b the rear, with her teeth, and toss her in the long grass. This was all in the name of fun. Shortly after playtime was over, Raspberry would lie on her back, Snow would nurse, and the two would then snuggle in close for a nap. Given the area they were in, you could often find them near Lake Butte Overlook, and watch a they scratched on their favorite rock or on the visitor sign that is located there. At times they would even wrestle on the concrete, giving the people who happen to be there an incredible show.
|
|
|
Post by brobear on Jun 23, 2022 7:05:33 GMT -5
Continued... They could also be seen at the 9-mile pullout, sleeping on logs right next to each other. Watching little Snow try to balance on a log while sleeping always brought a smile to my face. Their walks along the shore of Yellowstone Lake are some of my favorite memories. Something about the love they had for each other, the water, and the beautiful setting made these times magical. For three and a half years we got to watch as these two bears lived life to the fullest. They captured our hearts and taught us things we never would have known about the life of a grizzly sow and her cub without this experience. When the time finally came for Snow to set out on her own, it was one of the saddest mornings I have ever had in the park. The days leading up to that moment were full of those last lessons that only a sow could ever give her cub. I remember watching just a couple of days prior Snow going out on her own as the two of them very roughly played on a snow patch on the back side of Lake Butte Overlook. Neither was holding back, it was the strength and power of two grizzlies fighting, and then playing with the softness that only comes from such an incredible bond. It was one of the most fascinating things I had ever seen.
|
|
|
Post by brobear on Jun 24, 2022 1:29:35 GMT -5
Continued... At that time, there had been a boar in the area, and he was pursuing Raspberry, but she had not given in yet. A short few days later, just as the sun was setting, the boar was close and Raspberry started chasing Snow away. The next morning, I was headed toward the Overlook and I got a message from friends letting me know that Raspberry and her boyfriend were further up the road, and that they had just located Snow. When I reached the area, there on a log, looking very depressed and lonely, was Snow. Just looking at her you could tell what she was feeling. My heart was broken. The next few days were rough. Snow wandered aimlessly in the area and seemed very sad and confused. Often times she would walk up to cars and look at the people inside as if she were looking for a long lost friend. She then started scent trailing Raspberry and on several occasions she got very close. Raspberry would once again have to chase her away. I don't think Snow ever realized that her mom chasing her away was for her own good. If that big guy would have wanted to, he could have ended her life in a second. After the courting period for Raspberry was over, many bear watchers wondered if she and Snow would end up back together. That never happened, and I think it took the entire summer for Snow to realize that she was no longer allowed to be close to mom and that she needed to live life on her own.
|
|
|
Post by brobear on Jun 25, 2022 7:10:29 GMT -5
Continued... After those sad days passed, Snow once again began to thrive. She played in the water and took long walks along the shore of Yellowstone Lake. When she took her first elk calf by herself, people around the world cheered even if they weren't in the park to see it. She survived her first time denning alone, and she even survived taking some porcupine quills to the face. Raspberry had taught her well, and she was definitely a survivor. One incredible thing that happened shortly after Snow was chased off by Raspberry, was when I was able to learn without a doubt, that she was actually a female. Though we had speculated over the years, no proof had ever been captured until that moment. I was snapping pictures of her in Mary Bay, and she stopped to go to the bathroom. After looking back through the photos several times, there was no doubt. Snow was a girl. The next two years were full of many sightings, and although Raspberry and Snow crossed paths on several occasions, Snow had settled in to life on her own and was once again the smiling bear we had all come to love.
|
|
|
Post by brobear on Jun 25, 2022 10:01:56 GMT -5
Continued... In 2019 Snow went on a couple of long walk abouts, and was seen in different areas of the park. It was assumed that she was trying to find a territory of her own, but she always ended up back at the lake. This area apparently had captured her heart. In the spring of 2020, she once again emerged from the den. She was now five years old. What a blessing it was to have watched her grow from that little cub into a beautiful adult grizzly. That year she was seen in the company of a couple of male grizzlies. I can't wait for the day she shows up with a couple of COY of her own. Just the thought makes my heart skip a beat. What a wonderful life.
|
|
|
Post by brobear on Jun 25, 2022 10:02:59 GMT -5
The mountains have always been here, and in them, the bears. _Rick Bass If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly. _Mahatma Gandhi There is something about staring into a bear's eyes: an eerie innocence; a fiery drive for survival. But most of all when I look into a bear's eyes, there is this overwhelming feeling of respect. That is, for a creature that lives in heavily managed landscape, predominantly occupied by humans, but still has the capacity and intelligence to maneuver grounds so intricately to survive and coexist alongside people. _Tyler Brasington, Bear Biologist
|
|
|
Post by brobear on Jun 26, 2022 2:20:47 GMT -5
SNAGGLETOOTH Once in a while you come across an animal with a very unique situation. It may be a different color than normal, maybe its missing an ear, or maybe it only has three legs. Some of these situations are the result of something that happened in life, but some of them aren't. In this particular situation, this grizzly has a rare genetic defect. As you can see, he is missing part of his face, or his lip, ear the right side of his mouth. When I first saw him, I thought he had probably been in a fight with another bear, but after asking other people about him, I learned he has a genetic defect. This defect does not seem to bother him at all, and regardless of how he might look, he is still beautiful in his own unique way. Snaggletooth, along with his mother and sibling, originated from the area near Crandall, Wyoming. From what I was told, his sibling had the exact same deformity, only on the opposite side of his face. Before coming into Yellowstone, his sibling got into trouble for chasing cattle, and was euthanized. I'm not sure about his mother, but I'm guessing it was time for Snaggletooth to be out on his own, so they probably went their separate ways. When I photographed him, he was on the east side of Yellowstone Lake. Considering his original location, it really is amazing to think about how far a bear will actually travel. I'll be interested to see if he makes Yellowstone his home, or if he'll continue his journey to somewhere else.
|
|
|
Post by brobear on Jun 26, 2022 16:12:00 GMT -5
Today, you can find grizzlies in only half of their historic range. They are continuing to be displaced by human settlement, new roadways, logging, mining, increased back country travel, and a reduction of food sources. Because of this, bear-and-human conflict continues to rise. human-influenced death is the greatest mortality cause for grizzlies, averaging about eighty-five percent of the deaths, while natural cause deaths average about fifteen percent. _Julie Argyle
|
|
|
Post by brobear on Jun 27, 2022 1:30:22 GMT -5
The Obsidian Sow The Obsidian sow is a fairly small female grizzly. The average weight of female grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is between 200 and 400 pounds. She is definitely on the lower end of this scale. The Obsidian was born in 2007, and in 2015 she was collared as bear 815. She has since dropped her collar. She has had a lot of cubs, but sadly many of them have not survived. I have often wondered if that was because of her size. In the spring of 2019, the Obsidian appeared with three COY. I had the pleasure of watching this family of four shortly after they emerged from the den. What a site that was! It was the first time I had ever seen a grizzly with three COY. Boy, did she have her work cut out for her. Two of those cubs were very brave and would quite often venture out of the trees with their mother. The other cub was very shy and when mom and the other two siblings would head out, it would hang back in the cover of the forest and start screaming. ( At least, that is what I would call it ). I remember sitting in my car with tears in my eyes as I rolled the window up whenever it would happen. I can definitely say that is a sound I do not like. Keeping those little ones safe is a tough job, and when you have one that is screaming like that, it can quickly draw the attention of a boar that could come in and wipe the cubs out in a matter of seconds. Thankfully, once the screaming started, the Obsidian would make her way back to the cub and reassure it and then it would stop. Eventually, all three little ones were comfortable coming out of the trees. They would play together, climb over logs, and do all the thigs bear cubs like to do. Mom was very attentive and managed to keep all three safe for a while. Unfortunately one of the cubs disappeared and this family of four became a family of three. These bears were one of the main attractions in Yellowstone in 2019. Sadly many visitors to the park did not follow the rules when viewing them, and, for the bears' protection, the park rangers had to haze them quite often to scare them away from people and to change their behavior. Many people didn't like this, but for the safety of the bears, it had to be done. In 2020, both mom and the remaining cubs were seen on occasion, and all were still doing well.
|
|
|
Post by brobear on Aug 5, 2022 2:55:00 GMT -5
The Boone and Crockett record inland grizzly skull scored a 27 and 13/16 while the record Ussuri brown bear skull scored 27.6 inches. The grizzly skull ( picked up ) in Lone Mountain, Alaska was from the Old West days of the great buffalo herds. That skull is considered to be a typical-sized adult male grizzly of the Great Plains. They were at least as big as Russia's Ussuri brown bears or perhaps some larger.
|
|