Holly 435, with both her adopted yearling and her own cub. Photo courtesy of Tina Crowe, from the Park’s website.
When I first wrote about the Katmai National Park, some readers discovered bearcams for the first time. Katmai is well known for its bears … and you can watch them LIVE on the bearcams. Interested? Check them out, here.
In addition to the bearcams, the rangers keep up a commentary about the bears. Biologists have designated numbers, and even named some of the bears. There’s a book about the bears tracing their personalities and progress through the seasons.
Which brings us to 402’s yearling, who 402 abandoned when a male bear became amorous with her earlier this summer. Bear cubs typically stay with their mothers for 2 years, and the yearling would probably not survive the winter after 402 abandoned it.
Good news: the yearling found a foster family. This very unusual (but not unprecedented) arrangement is explained here. Enjoy this up close and personal look at one of nature’s wonders!
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Katmai National Park & Preserve
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