This is the mating season for grizzly bears. That is the reason solitary boars have been
seen frequenting areas usually occupied by sows and cubs. Until now the mating season has been an
abstract concept for me, since I had no personal observations of this bear behavior to draw upon.
That changed two days ago, when by a stroke of luck, we were
able to observe two grizzly bears courting and mating on Togwotee Pass.
I was impressed by the degree of tenderness
that they displayed towards each other…
Sometimes it was difficult to tell whether the boar or the
sow was initiating the activities…
I have to admit that I was concerned for the welfare of the
bears when they moved to a busy highway to pursue their romance…
Needless to say, traffic was stopped in both directions as
the bears mated in the road…
Afterwards, the sow crossed the road several times with no
regard for the danger of oncoming traffic…
The boar, on the other hand, retreated to the woods and a
cooling patch of snow…
The sow pursued him and appeared a bit miffed when she could
not re-kindle his interest…
She then found her own spot to cool her passions…
The sow was last seen climbing a hill, perhaps in search of
another suitor…
The boar was left wondering what had become of her…
Thanks for visiting, be well, and come back soon.
Wow what an interaction. It is my biggest wish to see a bear in the wild. This was CRAZY. Your photos are epic!
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