Recovery of 451's Cub

Katmai National Park Bear Technicians retrieve the body of 451's cub. It will be sent to Madison, Wisconsin for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.

[@AdSalad]

super nice wrap-up. I like to think the two deceased sib cubs are reunited and romping around the celestial world keeping an eye on things at Katmai :)

[@JoeBear1]

+houseofsnarzzle Thank you. A nice thought :))

[@luvbears7492]

It was a difficult couple days yet very moving. The devotion by the mother and the respect shown by the rangers was remarkable. Thank you for capturing those moments and for your kind words at the end. My feelings exactly.

[@kimgo4518]

You guys are absolutely awesome for helping the bears and removal of the cub. I was just disappointed when I saw the title I thought it mean the cub recovered. I apologize.

[@EasierESL]

At end, thanks for providing this touching glimpse into maternal behavior & instincts of one of world's largest omnivores.

[@LAinWLA16]

Thank you for this, it was so well edited and very touching. Hard to watch Mom's reaction when she came back to find the cub was gone. It's been an amazing story all the way around.

[@JoeBear1]

+LA M Yes it has. It's been heart breaking, beautiful and an amazing experience. I hope we never have to go through it again though.

[@lindagibson744]

​@@JoeBear1so why were the cubs taken away?

[@JoeBear1]

@@lindagibson744 It was just the cub that died that was taken. They did an autopsy and found it had canine hepatitis.

[@lindagibson744]

@@JoeBear1 so sorry to hear this.

[@doughaga3542]

Sad day . We are all feeling her pain.

[@Grammyofboys]

Awww. Poor mama. That is so sad. Even after they took the cubs body away she waited.

[@JoeBear1]

it was sad to watch for sure

[@Grammyofboys]

@@JoeBear1 I bet. I couldn't have handled it. I would have been bawling like a baby.

[@annlarson4578]

Thank you! Beautiful!

[@JoeBear1]

+Ann Larson You're welcome Ann. :))

[@kevindecoteau3186]

Hard to see the mom mourning her baby.

[@JoeBear1]

It was a hard thing to watch but amazing to see.

[@bobopaxaton]

It's good that they are doing this. The more they can know about animal welfare the better. Steps can be taken to prevent deaths like this if possible.

[@lindagibson744]

How can you identify one bear from the other? They all look alike to me. Lol

[@JoeBear1]

Some are easy to spot, like Otis and his floppy ear. Most, I wait for smarter people to tell me. 🤣

[@lindagibson744]

@@JoeBear1 Wow!!! Awesome!!!

[@ryotasuyama2642]

Would you happen to know the recent whereabouts of 451 and her healthy cub? My wife has been looking for them and very anxious to know if they are ok.

[@JoeBear1]

I think one of the rangers said they saw 451 early in the season but she didn't have a cub with her. That's the only thing I've heard unfortunately.

[@ryotasuyama2642]

Thank you so much for the information. We are relieved to hear at least 451 seems still alive.

[@jennifermontoya1412]

If only some said she was grieving what did the other people think that she was doing? Isn' it obvious?

[@sandyg5103]

Why didn't they help it?

[@JoeBear1]

Rangers aren't allowed to help if it is a natural cause. If it is a man-made problem they can help. I think it was Divot who had a wire noose around her neck and they tranq'ed here and cut it off.

[@rbbabauta1038]

💕🐻🐾💝✝️

[@higherpower4653]

Why did the bear cubs die?

[@JoeBear1]

I don't remember for sure. I think they said canine hepatitis.

[@janethope2452]

🤔 How did the 🐻 bear die.

[@JoeBear1]

If I remember right the autopsy decided it was canine hepatitis