When you are the mother of two rambunctious cubs, and under constant threat of other Grizzly Bears, it sure does make you tired. So when you have a free babysitter, in the form of a zodiac with people in it, you take advantage and lay down for a nap.

Some mother bears will use us (in the zodiac) as a bit of a buffer from other bears, because often times the big males will not come out of the woods when we are around, or stay a little further away when we are in the area. That being said, there are a few big males that will come out, including one that followed behind this mom and her cubs. So even when they are resting, they still need to be alert of what’s going on around them, and what can be coming, just like this mom was the whole time.  Also having an escape route and plan also seems to help.

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: June 1, 2019
Location: Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, British Columbia

Camera: Canon 1DX Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Focal Length: 400mm
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 2500
Exposure: 1/1000