It was our second full day in Jasper National Park and despite hours spent looking, I had yet to see a bear and was growing frustrated. The fact our sightseeing trip for the day was coming to an end heightened my anxiety but then things changed – big time.
We came across this gorgeous bear grazing in the Medicine Lake area and it obliged us with all the pictures we wanted. After leaving it to continue eating in peace we came across another about a mile away and then two miles later, another! Patience is a virtue and sometimes when looking for wildlife, I would do well to remember that. 😉
Ursus americanus is by far the most common bear in North America with a wide range and populations in most wooded and higher elevation areas of the continent. While not as big as some of their cousins, they can be 5 to 6 feet in length and weigh from 200 to 600 pounds. This one was not particularly large, probably in the low to medium parts of those ranges.
