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Home > Grizzly Bear and Wildlife Tour Blog > Guest Photos > Grizzly Bear Mother Nursing – Set II

Grizzly Bear Mother Nursing – Set II

May 12, 2013 Lodge Guide

Click photo to enlarge and see ALL of the bear!

As the photo shows lunchtime is over and time to move along. Triplets are a sign of a very healthy grizzly. This was best explained by Bruce Auchly in Montana Outdoors “When a pregnant bear goes into her den, she is only a little bit pregnant. After bears mate in late spring and early summer, a female’s eggs are fertilized but they do not implant in the uterus. By midsummer the fertilized egg has developed into a multicelled blastocyst (an early stage embryo), but further growth is arrested. The embryo floats freely in the uterus until denning time, later in the fall.
This delayed implantation allows the female bear’s body to assess whether it has sufficient fat reserves to carry, give birth to, and nurse cubs through the sow’s long winter nap. If fat reserves are present, it’s all systems go. But if a bear can’t gain enough fat, the blastocyst won’t attach to the uterine wall, ensuring that a female in poor condition will not be further stressed by reproduction. Then the bear’s body absorbs the embryo, gaining a bit of nourishment.”

Bald Eagles

Bald Eagles are frequently sighted in our area. At times they can be seen in large numbers. This is usually where food supplies are high. For example this could be in areas with high concentrations of baitfish or along the rivers in the fall when the salmon are spawning. They are not migratory, but do move around with the food supply. As mentioned earlier when the salmon are spawning we often see many along the rivers, while there will be fewer along the coastline. With little need for camouflage their white head and tail feathers can be spotted easily. The female is slightly larger and her white head extends down a bit farther onto the body, but it is subtle. It takes these birds 4.5 – 5 years to acquire this unique plumage. As juveniles they are a brown colour. With exceptional eyesight and the ability to view 270 degrees they are understandably often seen in high perches and in trees near points and passageways.