Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA (May 2018)
For days, we looked for and failed to find any of the famed re-introduced Yellowstone wolves. When we were told where we could find them, we raced to the Lamar Valley. On the way, we did not expect to see three black bear cubs rustling through some bushes along the roadside. While their huge mother searched for a meal nearby, her three boisterous cubs entertained themselves. Whenever the cubs couldn’t see their mother and cried out for her, she ran right up to reassure them. She definitely had her hands full. The cubs decided to find the largest pine tree they could to practice climbing. When the first two clambered up, the third cried out, cautious. The two waited for their sibling before they all began playing in the trees together.
I didn’t end up making it to the Lamar Valley that day, nor did I see any wolves, but this unexpected memory will certainly be one to remember.