This is bear 451 and her cubs, painted in watercolour on paper. Bear 451 has a bit of a history - for a start, at some point in her life she has been seriously injured and has a distinct stiffness and limp in one of her back legs. Then back in 2015, she had a litter of 3 cubs, lost one early in the season to either illness or injury. The second cub collapsed and died right in front of the Explore.org camera in October of that year, while bear 451 kept a sad vigil throughout the two days it took to die. She and her remaining cub finally left and were not seen again that year. In 2016 she returned to Brooks Falls briefly, limping very badly and alone. Things did not look good.
However, in 2017 she showed up in the early summer with three cubs and these three cubs made it through the summer unscathed and healthy. She returned with all three last year and despite a rocky start - very thin and hungry - they ended up all very fat, healthy & ready for hibernation. She really is one of my favourite bears on the web cams and I can't wait to see her return this year, hopefully with her cubs large and ready to be emancipated.
In the meantime, I have to be satisfied with just painting them!
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