The Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is very remote, and with only two tour operators with permits to operate in this area, less than 200 people visit this pristine estuary every year. This yearling Grizzly Bear was very quizzical, and not sure how he (or she) should respond to the zodiac with 7 people pointing their cameras at him. But he looked to his mother on how she should react, and with her mom being completely calm (and almost ignoring us), the cub became more calm over the 9 days we were there photographing him.

Typically cubs of the year aren’t brought into the estuary by their mothers because of the number of bears, including very large male Grizzlies, it’s not safe for the tiny cubs of the year. So this was probably the first time that this adorable little cub was seeing humans, or likely what he thought were aliens. The guides that work in this area are very respectful of the bears, and especially with the cubs are careful to limit their time, and distance to allow the cubs to be used to us, and learn that we aren’t there to hurt them. Hopefully with the positive experience he had with our group, and the groups after us, he will continue to come to the estuary and allow us to photograph him for the years to come.

If you are interested in purchasing this image, or any other images on my site, contact Terri Shaddick at [email protected].

Taken: May 31, 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/7.1
ISO: 1240
Exposure: 1/640