May 19, 2014
Black Bear And Cubs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The conditions for photographing the Black Bear (Ursus americanus) sow and three cubs of the year yesterday morning were great. There was bright overcast to prevent harsh shadows and there were two other Black Bears in the area that made the sow quite cautious. First, a black Black Bear crested the horizon to our right then disappeared. Within half an hour, the sow detected it and sent the cubs up a tree. After she relaxed from that first encounter and the cubs came down, a cinnamon Black Bear (above) came down the hill to our left and that got her really nervous again. When the cinnamon Black Bear crossed the road, it stopped to check out the No Parking sign that had been placed there to keep cars out of its path. After the cinnamon Black Bear finished crossing the road and headed towards the tree where the Black Bear sow and three cubs were resting at the base, the sow sent the cubs up the tree (above). After a few minutes, she also climbed up the same tree and waited until the cinnamon Black Bear moved away. When the coast was clear, first the sow, and then the three cubs, came down the tree but stayed near the base for a long time. One of the cubs climbed back up the tree and then came down the dead branch that extended to the ground. It got stuck and the sow stood up to help the little guy safely to the ground.