Here are the other bear cub photos Harold sent me on Friday.This is a cinnamon bear, which is a black bear with a cinnamon color in its coat. It is also the name of a children's classic radio program and a kind of candy. This little guy is the first kind.
When I had breakfast with Harold and Christina on Saturday, we were talking about the pictures and Christina said there are an unusual number of cubs whose mamas will allow people to get very close to them this year.
The theory among some naturalists is that the mamas have figured out that when they are around human beings, the bachelor bears stay away. And since the biggest danger to a bear cub is a bachelor bear, this is a good thing.
I told you that mama bears know how to protect their cubs. And often they do it by being smart -- they are strong and can be violent, but why risk injury if you don't have to?
A few years ago, before Juneau got the bear-proof dumpsters, twin cubs got into the dumpster across the street from my office and the lid fell and trapped them inside. They cried for help, Mama climbed on the lid to get them. And she quickly figured it out, got off the lid and opened it. Very smart animals, bears.
Actually, pretty smart animals, animals.
Do click and enlarge.
Notice in the bottom right corner, the blue and red of people's clothes. This is very close to get to a cub and not have Mama come running.
3 comments:
They are absolutely lovely! Thanks!
Wow, cute cub!
(Where was the cub's mother? Isn't it a bit whacko to get that close to the cub in any circumstance? Granted black bears aren't as aggressive as, say grizzlies, but I wonder. Reminds me of all the people who take pictures of themselves in ice caves, but then note that others shouldn't go into them because an ice cave could collapse at any time. I would be interested to know your take on this - I suppose if you travel in a group you just have to make sure you can run faster than the others or such?)
Dorothea,
I'm certain the mother wasn't far. Of course it's whacko to get that close to a bear cub -- but we are talking about tourists here. I've seen tourists follow full grown bears into the dark, parking garage of an apartment building. They think they are in Disneyland and the animals are all animatrons or something.
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