Bear Nursing Cubs

Among bears, the practice of nursing one’s young is sacred, secretive and dangerous. The mama bear renders herself defenseless when her young greedily suck their multiple doses of daily nourishment from her engorged teats. Suckling her cubs takes time, calories, effort, and a dual awareness of herself and her surroundings. Energy levels diminish as she lactates: she must feed herself in addition to her cubs. There is no “Papa Bear” post conception.

This image was taken after our eyes met. It displays her astute attention, while her two cubs are contentedly lost to the outside world. The mother’s outstretched legs add a genuine lofty air to the natural affair at hand, and the long line of drool exemplifies her sheer exhaustion.

Coastal Brown Bear, Katmai National Park, Alaska, 2014

Canon 1DX, Canon 600mm F/4, Canon 1.4x III Teleconverter, f/5.6, 1/1250s, ISO 1600, monopod