![]() ![]() A patch of hair about the size of a large, oval pancake on his left forearm is worn down and a slightly darker color. Some of the most fascinating revelations that come from close contact with an animal like this are the subtle things-signposts of their individuality and personal traits. I estimate his weight at 450lbs at last capture, Gunther reported that he weighed 524. Blood issuing from his nose and the fact that his right eye, swollen shut and large as a hen’s egg, supports these suspicions. Washburn and Hayden Valley areas of Yellowstone without incident, according to Kerry Gunther, Bear Biologist for Yellowstone National Park.įrom my examination of fresh wounds to his face and head, he died from a conflict with another, stronger bear. Originally captured and marked in the Bridger-Teton National Forest for dining on domestic sheep at the age of 5, he was then released in the Shoshone National Forest and later roamed and denned the Mt. ![]() With two round, red ear tags, he was known to researchers as bear #394, an adult male who made it to an extraordinary 25 years of age. His strong arcing cutlery, the front nails, measure 3 3/4 inches long and must have marked thousands of miles of trails during his lifetime in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Luckily, a friend with a raft offered to ferry myself and four inquisitive others down to this spot, saving me the swim. In over two decades of hiking and wandering the Park and surrounding areas, I have only ever found two dead bears. The moment I heard about this bear from a friend, I needed to have a look, even if it meant strapping on a lifejacket and floating down the flooding river to do so. The death of a grizzly bear provides a rare chance to be in the presence of one of North America’s largest carnivores despite being post mortem, this is a great privilege. Perhaps due to the cold waters of the river and the absence of scavengers, it looks as though the bear is asleep, or maybe anesthetized, as bears seldom sleep on their sides. ![]() There is no bad odor and his silver-tipped fur still flickers in the wind with the latent breath of life. Aside from some missing hair on his rump, he shows virtually no signs of decomposition. Washed up on the cobbled beach of an island in the Yellowstone River, he lies before us in pristine condition. Sadly though, the opportunity to see these impressive claws up close comes only because the bruin is dead. Far from menacing now, they are objects of exquisite beauty and curiosity. Like five slender piano keys against the backdrop of ebony and brown grizzly fur, they grip one’s attention like an industrial magnet. ![]()
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