If I Were Going...: Grazer and the Kids

A fascinating Bear story

In my last post, I gave you an overview of Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park and described an encounter with big ol’ Bear #747.

Bear #747 or "Bear Force One"

This time, I am going to talk about the Bear that we saw the most during our two days at Brooks: Bear #128, AKA “Grazer” and her two-year old cubs.

An inseparable family

We saw them multiple times at the Falls, both on the shore …

Right below the Main Falls Platform

… and in the water …

Wading into the Brooks River below Brooks Falls

Plus, I spent a great deal of time photographing them from the boardwalk between the Riffles Platform and the Main Platform …

Playing hide 'n seek

Yes, I shouldn’t have stopped to take pictures, but how could I pass this up?

Bear tussle

And, I (and the other photographer who was with me) didn’t seem to be distracting the Bears. In, fact, I don’t think they cared that we were there ...

Much more interesting things to explore

So, who is Grazer?

Profile

A medium-sized adult female, Grazer was first identified in 2009 when she was almost five years old (making her about 18 now). She is described as having a light blond coat …

Do blondes have more fun?

… dark patches around her eyes …

A bit of a raccoon look

Unusual ears

She has a straight face (as opposed to that "dished-in" look that Brown Bears often have) and very distinctive large, oval-shaped, widely spaced ears that are so light that they look white.

Many accounts of Grazer say that her coat darkens over the winter, but those "Teddy Bear" ears remain light.

She also allegedly has a long, linear scar across the top of her hips …

I can't see a scar

Rangers gave her her name because, in the early spring, she was frequently seen grazing on vegetation.

Tasting the spring grass

Grazer is known to have had two litters of cubs: three in 2016 and two in 2020. Of course, the ones we saw were her 2020 brood …

Just her second litter

Both resemble her, with the same coloring …

Light colored

… and one has the same dark circles around its eyes …

The larger cub (maybe a male?) has the distinctive eye circles

And, I think they also inherited the cute little ears ...

They look so cuddly

Since it was early in the season and Salmon had not even arrived, Grazer and the kids looked very thin to me, giving them an almost dog-like appearance …

Long and lean

But, not to worry, Grazer is known to be “one of the most skilled bears to fish the lip of Brooks Falls.” After we got home, I saw her on the Explore.org Bearcam fishing while the twins looked on.

And, even though I thought she looked very thin, I found photos from last year’s Fat Bear Week (the “competition” to select which Brooks Bear has been the most successful at beefing up for winter hibernation) that showed her much, much thinner at the same time last year.

And, it also showed how fat she can get.

So, I guess with older cubs, she’s a little less stressed and is doing pretty well.

Known for fishing prowess

Like most females, Grazer cannot compete with male Bears for prime fishing spots during the big Salmon runs. That’s when she fishes the lower River area, cut bank and Riffles.

But, sometimes she does get in the middle of the bigger males to fish, which is not typical of females. But, she is not a typical Bear.

She is relatively habituated to people and has been known to approach fishermen/women who have a fish on the line.

Grazer has Mama Bear Moves

Very protective

Grazer is known as a fiercely protective mother, sometimes charging Bears that merely walk by. Other mother Bears are usually discreet about removing their cubs from potentially dangerous situations, but Grazer is quick to go on the offensive, preemptively attacking other Bears, even the largest adult males.

He's been Grazered

This often manifests in Grazer charging and roaring. If the offender doesn't move away quickly enough, she'll swat it or bite its face. Fans of the Park's Bearcam often say that Bears she has intimidated have been "Grazered."

We witnessed this behavior when another Bear approached the threesome on the trail as they were leaving the Falls.

I don’t know if this one was male or female, but for simplicity, I will refer to it as a male.

On the trail

She rapidly turned and chased him into the river …

It happened very quickly

… where she threatened and postured from the bank ...

Accompanied by loud roaring

While no blood was shed, it was tense moment. She growled …

Putting the other Bear in his place

… and bared her teeth …

Threatening

… he growled back …

He wasn't totally intimidated

… before backing off …

The wiser course was to leave

The whole time this was happening, the two cubs looked on …

Later, I actually saw one of the cubs copy mom and snap at a bigger Bear

And, as soon as the targeted Bear retreated, Grazer turned and lovingly touched noses with her babies, making sure they were OK …

"Are you OK?"

Then, they settled down to “rest.”

An uneasy nap

But, as they lounged, it was evident that she was on high alert, frequently checking to make sure the offending Bear did not return …

Still watching him even when he entered the river

We witnessed this whole event from the Main Falls Platform ...

Interesting to watch

The Bears were below us on the shore only about 20-30 feet away and, there was only one other photographer there besides Scott and me …

They were right below us

Despite their fearsome reputations, Bears don't really want to fight. They'd rather eat. Bears recognize each other and their varying places in the hierarchy help them avoid conflict. Size is usually the biggest determinant of rank: when two of the largest bears at Katmai, #856 and #747, approach the waterfall, other Bears instinctively move out of their way.

Disposition is also important to hierarchy. According to a 2020 article in The Guardian, Grazer is “on a level other females and many males never reach.”

A famous super mom

Her tenacity and devotion to her cubs has made her a bit of a celebrity.

When the Explore.org Bearcam caught her frantically chasing after her first litter of cubs as they rode the current over Falls in 2016, she garnered 1.8 million views and nearly 28,000 shares on Facebook.

Rest and Play

I mentioned that I spent some time photographing Grazer and the kids right off the boardwalk between the two platforms near the Falls. I watched them climb logs …

A Bear playground

… search for food …

Looking under the bark

… nap …

A mom's life is tiring

… or attempt to nap …

Kids just won't let you rest

… and generally roam around exploring …

Up and over

I even got an exclusive look at the cubs play fighting up on the hill …

Playing around

At the Falls

On another foray to the platform, we got to see Grazer and the cubs in the water at the base of the Falls.

Leading the youngsters into the water

They weren’t fishing (because there were no fish), but they did spend a lot of time climbing …

Up and over

… exploring …

Checking out the rocks

… and making a few attempts to fish …

There were a few fish around

This time, they had the Falls to themselves …

Enjoy it while it lasts

… except for a few birds …

A female Common Merganser

… so they were free to enjoy the water al by themselves …

The cubs

While we were there, we saw small groups of Sockeye Salmon swimming upstream and attempting to make it over Brooks Falls to continue on to their spawning grounds. We knew that within a week, the volume of fish would increase – and along with it, the volume of Bears would increase.

More fish = more Bears

While Grazer is an intrepid Bear, it would be difficult for her and her cubs to play like this during the Salmon run.

Making a big splash

History

The Falls

The six-foot-high Falls are a mile and a half from Brooks Lake and an equal distance from Naknek Lake.

Before the 1950s, when Brooks Camp was opened for sport fishing, there were fewer Bears at the falls than there are today.

Fishing in 1954; Photo: NPS

Usually no more than seven were seen at a time, primarily because Bear hunting was allowed in the area. Once hunting was banned and viewing rules were established, peak Bear numbers quadrupled.

Of course, we have never been in peak season. The most I have seen at a time is 12. This trip, there were never more than four within view.

A slightly bigger crowd in 2021

In 1919, the River, Falls and Lake were named after Alfred Hulse Brooks, the geologist in charge of exploring and mapping the Territory of Alaska. Before that, they were Kidawik Creek and Toms Lake. I am not sure the Falls even had a name.