JACKSON, Wyo. — Last week brought a roller coaster of grizzly bear news in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
On Tuesday, May 13, Grand Teton National Park staff discovered the carcasses of two yearling grizzly bears in the park, identified as cubs of grizzly 1063, who had been spotted throughout spring with three yearlings in tow. Park staff suspected that the cubs were killed by an adult male grizzly. After the bodies were found, staff saw 1063 alone, appearing to have been separated from her surviving offspring.
Then, on Thursday, May 15, the park shared that 1063 and the cub had been reunited, much to park staff’s relief. In wake of the update, Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures offered a potential explanation for the incident on its social media channels on Friday, May 16.
“While we’re all mourning, this event is also a reminder of the complex and often brutal realities of the wild,” EcoTours posted.
EcoTours explained that male grizzlies, also known as “boars,” occasionally kill grizzly cubs during mating seasons, because female grizzlies, or “sows,” do not take mates when they are still raising cubs. If a sow’s cub dies, however, the sow’s body returns to the “estrus” stage, making her ready to accept a mate.
“As cruel as it seems, this strategy increases the boar’s chances of passing on his own genes,” EcoTours posted. “It’s nature at its most unforgiving. And it’s not rare — this very threat is why the famous grizzly bear 399 chose to raise her cubs near roadways, where boars are less likely to roam due to human presence.”
The guiding company added that 1063 is considered to be a young parent, and that this experience could affect how she rears her future offspring.
