Felicia and Pepper

A grizzly sow and cub rest for a moment after searching for food beneath the recently fallen mountain snow. Last weekend I got to spend a few days at home in the Tetons and was so excited to encounter this adorable duo. The cub, known by Wyoming locals as Pepper, was separated from his mother early in the year when he was a much smaller cub. Against all odds, the tiny yet remarkably resourceful cub survived a month on his own before reuniting with his mother. Though grizzlies have the potential to be the ferocious creatures that they are made out to be in popular culture and must be respected, they are wonderful loving animals most of the time. Watching the interaction between Pepper and his mother in the snow was a tremendous privilege. I do not take moments like these for granted in light of the ongoing fight between federal and state governments to remove endangered species protections from these animals, nearly resulting in the first trophy hunt in decades. Thanks to a judge in Montana and thousands of advocates, the hunt was stopped, buying the species protections for a little bit longer.

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