Bear Quints

Bear  Quints - once in a lifetime  photo

       Black  bears typically have two cubs; rarely, one or three. In 2007, in  northern   New  Hampshire ,

a black bear sow gave birth to five 
        healthy young.  There were two or three reports of sows with as many as 4 
        cubs, but five  was, and is, very extraordinary. The photographer learned 
        of them shortly  after they emerged from their den and set a goal of 
        photographing all  five cubs with their mom - no matter how much time and 
        effort was  involved. He knew the trail they followed on a fairly regular 
        basis, usually  shortly before dark. After spending nearly four hours a 
        day, seven days a  week, for more than six weeks, he had that 
         once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and photographed them. He used  the
        equivalent of  a very fast film speed on his digital camera. The print is 
        properly focused  and well exposed, with all six bears posing as if they 
        were in a studio  for a family portrait.

 

 

 

The          photographer  stayed in touch with other people who saw the bears during          the summer and  into the fall hunting season. All six bears continued to          thrive. As time  for hibernation approached, he found still more folks         who had seen  them, and everything remained OK. The photographer stayed          away from the  bears because he was concerned that they might become          habituated to  him, or to people in general, and treat them as          approachable  friends. This could easily become dangerous for both man          and animal. 

 

After 
        Halloween, no  further reports and could only hope the bears survived 
        until they  hibernated. This spring, just before the snow disappeared, 
        all six bears  came out of their den and wandered all over the same 
        familiar  territory they trekked in the spring of 2007. 
       

 

The 
        photographer saw  them before mid-April and dreamed nightly of taking 
        another family  portrait, a highly improbable second once-in-a-lifetime 
         photograph. 
On
        April 25, 2008, he  achieved his dream.

 

When  something as  magical as this happens between man and animal, Native 
        Americans say,  "We have walked together in the shadow of a rainbow." And 
        so it is with  humility and great pleasure that I share these 
        exhilarating  photos with  you.      Do  pass them on!

 

Thanks Norman