id: 5704881
Female bears with cubs generally do not approach large congregations of bears. This is particularly at fishing haunts where the young ones are susceptible to being killed by other male bears as they are known to practice infanticide. However, though staying away from salmon streams does reduce the risk of cub mortality, it also forces them to survive on less rich food sources. This could result in grave ramifications since gaining enough weight to survive the winter is critical for female brown bears and their offspring. During my stay at Kuril Lake in Kamchatka, most of the sockeye salmon were in the lake and yet to move upstream. As a result, large number of bears, around 50-60 individuals had congregated at the confluence of the Kuril Lake and one of the larger streams that feeds the lake. One evening, this particular female with three cubs had a lot to take care of. Juggling between the need and safety of cubs, she approached the stream with great caution. The dead branch was her safety net and the obedient cubs stayed on it following her instructions and in anticipation of the catch of the day. In between her hunting attempts, a stranger attacked the cubs when the protective mother sprang in action to shield them. Female bears with cubs rival adult males in aggression, even though the male may be twice as heavy as her, and they are much more intolerant of other males than single females.
Specie: Kamchatka Brown Bear (Ursus arctos beringianus)
Location: South Kamchatka Sanctuary, Russia
0 Likes
2 Favorites
566 Impressions
0 Comments
