This photo brings back memories from last summer. Having forgotten my bug spray and sun screen, I was on the way back to my cabin when I almost ran head first into this large sow calmly walking down the road. My cabin was the closest one on the far left. Mrs. Griz must have decided that she liked it because she stopped and sat on front of the porch for almost 15 minutes. So I had to wait to get inside. This female was considered a "problem bear" because she was becoming habituated. Even repeat hazing with rubber bullets by the rangers would not keep her out of camp. Not only was she determined to not leave, but she was also teaching her two cubs to also ignore humans and hold their ground. However, when all is said & done, Brooks camp was built on the cross roads of heavy, wild Grizzly Bear activity going to and from the Brooks Falls. So we - the people -are the real intruders. Wild Grizzly Bears freely roam through camp nightly. So finding a bear on your porch first thing in the morning is not unusual. Nevertheless, most of the bears avoid the main road during peak daylight hours when human activity is high. However, the newest generations of bears have become bolder and scenes like this are becoming common. The rangers are on the scene only because Mrs Griz was in camp for a prolonged period of time and was thus considered a risk to the people. This bear was not merely casually passing through as her ancestors have done for generations. She felt the camp was hers and she could do whatever she wanted.
For more wild Grizzly Bear photographs, please visit http://www.pbase.com/britestar/wild_grizzly_bears

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Copyright 2007 Elizabeth Bickel. All rights Reserved.