Mama grizzly bear and one of her cubs
Mother Nature saved the best for last on my excursion to Yellowstone and the Tetons back in July. We were on our way home when we spotted three distinct figures off in the willows and clovers. Instantly we knew what it was – and who it was. Say hello to the infamous Felicia and one of her little ones (the second was just out of frame to the right). Female grizzly bears can push 400 pounds and this big, pretty lady was probably somewhere near that. She was absolutely impressive and her cubs adorable. Felicia, officially known as Grizzly 863, is estimated to be eight years old and has become a fixture in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Her propensity to hang out in well-trafficked areas has caused consternation among wildlife officials and they tried to haze her to get her to move to more private environs. That saw some, limited success this summer. There has been a lot of debate over how to handle her as she has never been a truly problem bear – she hasn’t threatened humans or shown any desire to intrude on human settlements. Felicia simply seems to like the area due to its abundant food supply and the fact that being in the proximity of humans helps to dissuade male bears (boars) who might threaten her cubs.
You can see more of my work...
Mama grizzly bear and one of her cubs
Mother Nature saved the best for last on my excursion to Yellowstone and the Tetons back in July. We were on our way home when we spotted three distinct figures off in the willows and clovers. Instantly we knew what it was – and who it was. Say hello to the infamous Felicia and one of her little ones (the second was just out of frame to the right). Female grizzly bears can push 400 pounds and this big, pretty lady was probably somewhere near that. She was absolutely impressive and her cubs adorable. Felicia, officially known as Grizzly 863, is estimated to be eight years old and has become a fixture in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Her propensity to hang out in well-trafficked areas has caused consternation among wildlife officials and they tried to haze her to get her to move to more private environs. That saw some, limited success this summer. There has been a lot of debate over how to handle her as she has never been a truly problem bear – she hasn’t threatened humans or shown any desire to intrude on human settlements. Felicia simply seems to like the area due to its abundant food supply and the fact that being in the proximity of humans helps to dissuade male bears (boars) who might threaten her cubs.
You can see more of my work...