Your Bear Cam moments are making the Explore team nostalgic – Charlie especially is wowed by the live cam snapshots everyone has collected from over the years.
There’s some comfort in knowing that we can return to the Bear Cams each summer and see the same view of our favorite bears, though I always worry if my favorites don’t make an immediate appearance. That brings us to a memory shared by Jeanette Koenig – you long-time watchers will remember this one:
1. In October 2012, 814 Lurch tended to a cache with a dead bear in it. From Jeanette: “As I understand it, no one is sure exactly what transpired, but it seems possible that it was actually Digger that had killed the bear in the cache and was then displaced by Lurch. My personal interpretation is that Digger was so angry at being displaced, he faked his death and tried to pin it on Lurch, who made a perfect fall guy, considering his long list of priors. Or perhaps not.”
We will definitely miss watching Lurch on the cams.
2. “My favorite bear cam memories are the countless things that the rangers have taught us over the years about the bears, the salmon, and all things Katmai, but most of all the importance of each of us being stewards of our National Parks and the resources contained in them.” – LoveTheCams aka Diana
Who remembers Ranger Mike sitting inside of this belly hole?
3. “My favorite event from the Katmai bear cams is the adoption of 402’s abandoned cub (503) by Holly (435). Calliopejane saw and photographed Holly with her own cub and the orphan away from camp, so there was hope it had happened. Then all three appeared back at camp to spend the fall of 2014, and this is a picture from that day. We got to watch the three of them for another whole summer last year.” – Mary Alice Morton
This was also Deborah Kilgore‘s favorite moment, and she shared this photo of the “adoption:”
4. “Backpack on his rock from 10/2014.” – IslandDunesGal aka Ronnie
5. “A very sad time but also one I shall never forget. She would not desert her cub. ‘The Vigil’ taken on October 23. 2015.” – Joni Tilley (JoniT@NC)
6. “Just a couple days ago when we first realized that Holly #435 was allowing her adopted cub, #503, to fish near her at the falls.” – Lavelda Faull
7. “As someone who started watching in 2012 I have several memories. The wife and I came across this site after we planned a trip to Brooks for 2013. I remember sitting there in July watching all the bears at the falls then. I think there may have been 30 plus. The only Bear I could remember and ID was “TED”. He had that scar that was very noticeable. To this day I am not good with the ID’s, but TED was always around.” – Stephen Brkich
Thanks for sharing all your beautiful moments – if you want to share more, please feel free to post them here or on the Bear Cam chat board. Tomorrow at 4 pm PT / 7 pm ET we’ll be hosting an NPS 100th birthday celebration with the rangers, as well as a “reunion” for the Bear Cam community.
-Courtney