When evening while visiting with my folks at their cabin, we looked down the beach and saw to curious little heads poking out from behind a rock. As we looked on, we keep waiting for their mother to come out of the tree line and join them as they sniffed sea weed and mossy rocks. After 30 mins and continuing to head in our direction, I wondered if they were alone. Surely not. They were far to young to have left their mothers side. After an hour, I was absolutely sure they were abandoned. Maybe the mother was killed in an accident or more likely by a boar. Yet, the cubs looked rather healthy, so what ever happened couldn’t have been but a few days earlier.
Assurance and courage over took reason for a better photo. So, I climbed down behind a rock on the beach and waited to see if the cubs would continue down the beach in the same direction. Sure, enough they did. Only when they came around the rock I was perched at, something caught their interest. It was me! They slowly approached with my family looking on from the cabin deck. I thought to myself, surely they will stop at some point and realize what I am. No.. that was not the case. With only feet separating us, I started to move to give indication that I was not a rock. That’s when I took the second photo.
They stopped and headed back down the beach. During the following 2 days, they stayed close to the lodge. On the third day they had left the area, most likely finding a stream full of fish. I often wonder if they survived the winter on their own and grew from cute, cuddly fur balls.. to 1000# beasts.