Being a mother Grizzly Bear in the Khutzeymateen is hard work, because they constantly have to pay attention for predators (large male grizzly bears) that will come along and try to injure or kill their cubs, and sometimes keeping their cubs in order is really hard work.

This mother Grizzly Bears had just a single cub (see Two of a Kind image), and was the only mother bear with cubs that we saw in the estuary in 2016. As we approached in the zodiac she came out to this comfortable looking spot at the edge of the shore and laid down. Almost like she thought that she could relax now that we were close by – hoping that we would keep the big males away. I love how she overlapped her claws in this image, and they really stand out again the yellows of the fucus.

I’m days away from heading back into the Khutzeymateen and I’m looking forward to seeing if this female and her cub are still around, and also getting the opportunity to see what other Grizzlies are back from last year.

This image is copyright © Terri Shaddick, if you are interested in using or purchasing this image, or any other images on my site, contact Terri Shaddick at [email protected].

Taken: May 27, 2016
Location: Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, British Columbia

Camera: Canon EOS 1D X
Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Focal Length: 400mm
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 3200
Exposure: 1/1000