One of the premier locations in the world to witness brown bears is Brooks Camp in Alaska. The camp is located where the Brooks River flows into Naknek Lake.
Here, brown bears are a common sight from July to September. However, recently a rare sight has warmed wildlife officials’ hearts. They observed the adoption of one bear cub by her aunt.
The cub’s biological mother, bear 909, and aunt (bear 910) are sisters. Although they had cubs in different years, the two helped raise each other’s young as part of a family unit last year.
This year, they continued to do so. However, bear 909 soon left her two-and-a-half-year-old cub. This is normal according to the U.S National Park Service.
They state that “Cubs will stay with their mother for about two years learning survival skills. After two or three years, a female bear is ready to mate again.”
Despite this timeline, bear 909’s cub was not quite ready to strike out on her own.
So, the cub stayed with her aunt, bear 910, and younger cousin. The adopted cub has even been observed nursing from bear 910. The new family appears to have bonded well and sleeps, fishes, and eats together. In adorable photos posted by Katmai National Park & Preserve, the two cousins can be seen resting their heads together.
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According to park officials, adoption is rare among brown bears. This makes this story that much more heartwarming and special to witness.
Sadly, according to the World Wildlife Foundation, Alaskan brown bears in Southwest portions of the state may soon face threats from the development of copper and gold mines.
Brown bears are large animals with big appetites who require vast natural areas. They are important predators and act as indicator species for many other types of animals.
Sign this petition to Stop the Hunting of Alaskan Brown Bears.
This article by Willow Lynn was first published by OneGreenPlanet on 1 August 2023.
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