Postcard #6: Black Bear Cub

Caption: Black Bear Cub (Ursus americanna)
Weighing about a half pound at birth, Black Bear Cubs usually arrive in early February while the female is denning up against the winter cold. The tiny naked newborn cuddle against their mother for warmth and to nurse. Mother bears are fiercely protective of their cubs and will fight to the death to protect them.
Photographer: Michael H. Francis
Postmarked: June 9, 2010

I received this postcard from my good friend Yancy when she visited Yellowstone National Park. Even in the summer (June), she mentioned that the park is quite cold. Though sightings of wildlife made it worthwhile - she reported having seen bisons, bears, deers, elks, etc etc. When I went to Yellowstone - granted it was quite a few years before Yancy - I definitely didn't see as much wildlife. I did remember the cold; I also saw the good Old Faithful geyser.

I did manage to see a very angry bison; my father and I actually got an extremely clear head-shot of it before it started chasing us. The two of us half-jumped and half-slid down this slope (it seemed more like a cliff at the time...), and luckily it didn't follow. I'm still unsure what exactly we were thinking...