A cute grizzly bear cub poses for his portrait. Although they are cute, grizzly bear cubs must be treated with utmost caution. The cubs themselves are not that dangerous, and are in fact quite playful. However, as backcountry hikers and explorers know, the mother bear is never very far away.
When we are photographing grizzly bears and taking pictures of grizzly bear cubs we always keep our distance, using zoom lenses and making our presence known. If they are satisfied that you are not a threat, grizzly bears and brown bears tend to be tolerant of human presence.
Black bears, which are much more common in the lower 48 states, are actually much more dangerous and aggressive towards humans. Although grizzly bears have a reputation as fierce predators, almost all documented grizzly bear attacks on humans are defensive in nature. Black bears have been repeatedly documented attacking humans in an offensive manner.
This may simply be an issue of ignorance, as grizzly bears are an endangered species in the lower 48 U.S. states; most Americans have never seen a grizzly bear in real life. There is a thriving grizzly bear population in Alaska.
Stock Image #20100921-132338