Female polar bear and her cub in snow photo
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
A female polar bear stands protectively beside her small cub as snow falls around them on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The cub sits upright at her feet, looking directly at the camera with a round face and dark eyes. The mother stands broadside, her head turned forward, calm but watchful. Both bears are dusted with fresh snow.
This cub is a young of the year, born the previous winter in a maternity den and now experiencing its first fall on the open Arctic coast. At this age the cub is still entirely dependent on its mother for food, warmth, and protection from adult males and other threats. The way the cub sits pressed close to the sow's front legs tells you everything about that relationship. The mother's body is a wall between her offspring and anything that might approach from the other side.
Female polar bears with cubs of the year are among the most compelling subjects in Arctic wildlife photography, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most important denning areas for polar bears in Alaska. Photographing a mother and cub together in falling snow like this requires close access and careful fieldwork, because sows with young cubs are understandably cautious and will move away quickly if they feel pressured. The soft, snowy conditions here give the image a quiet, intimate feel that reflects the bond between these two animals. Photo © copyright by Carl Donohue.