"Black Bear Cubs in Cades Cove" Photo Prints

After two days in Elkmont, we headed over to the west side of the park with the plan to end in Cade's Cove, one of the best places to see black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. One of my folks really wanted to see a bear, and I'd heard reports of the place being lousy with them all week. Plus, there's a fabulous spot to take in heebee jeebie, big dipper, and the occasional synchronous fireflies there. 

The drive didn't disappoint. Our final count for the bear watching trip was 15 bears. We saw adults, teens, and spring cubs. We saw them from the car, and outside the car. We saw them play and feed and trundle along. In fact, we really didn't see much of Cade's Cove historic buildings or sights because we were all about the bears.

These two black bear cubs were part of a family of 4. The mother lumbered around in the long grass, munching on foliage and keeping a watchful eye on her black bear family, which would pop out of the grass to stand up or clamber up a tree. Much to the delight of all the cars and people that stopped to take them in.

Luckily there was a ranger there keeping everyone safe and traffic moving, which had to have been a frustrating experience. It seemed like the crowd forgot that these were wild black bears, and moms can be very protective of cubs. And also forgot that if you stop on a one lane road, no one else can get by you. The ranger had infinite patience, reminded everyone of wildlife safety, and helped many more people see these playful animals.

This wildlife photograph was taken with a 700mm focal length lens. I'm not quite sure what captured the attention of these spring bear cubs, maybe a barking dog in a car or a squeal of delight from a tourist. The top one looks very curious, but that bottom one looks like trouble.