Photographs of the Chicotlin Rgeion by Jenny Stevens

Grizzly Bear. There are approximately 15,000 Grizzly bears in British Columbia - this is about a quarter of the entire North American population.

Mom Grizzly ready to catch a spawning Sockeye Salmon. She had two cubs with her, one you can see. Cub about eight months old.

Great Blue Heron in the early morning shade of the mountains.

Male Grizzly waiting to snag a spawning Sockeye Salmon in The Chilko River. Grizzly bears can have a variety of coat colours from black to almost blonde. Grizzly bears are omnivorous animals with vegetation making up about 70% of their diet.

Blonde Grizzly eating a Sockeye Salmon. Grizzly bears can live to over 30 years in age and have few predators, but 15 to 20 is more typical.

Grizzly Bear not moving a muscle. They are renowned for their acute sense of smell that allows them to locate food at great distances.

This fellow was just outside my cabin door!

Grizzly eating a Sockeye Salmon while standing in The Chilko River. In the fall, bears go through hyperphagia (“extreme eating”) when they require an average of 20,000 calories per day

Grizzly Bear. He had just dunked to catch a spawning Sockeye Salmon - he missed. But, great eye contact.

Grizzly eating a Sockeye Salmon. When they catch a large one, they take it up on shore to eat it. She is standing in The Chilko River.

Mom Grizzly with three 'COY' (Cub of the year). Mortality rate for cubs tends to hover around 50%. Young cubs are killed by other black bears, grizzly bears, wolves, coyotes and cougars.

"Here you go son....." Blonde Grizzly Mom offers her Cub a freshly caught Sockeye Salmon. Usually, she eats first.

Grizzly Cubs Wrestling - Few animals play more than bear cubs do, but why they play remains a mystery.

Eight Month Old Grizzly Cubs Wrestling. Some scientists believe wrestling provides a safe way for young animals to test their abilities, the abilities of playmates, and the degree of cooperation/competition with them.

Eight Month Old Grizzly Cubs. I like to think they are just having fun while Mom works catching spawning Sockeye Salmon.

Grizzly avoiding the underbrush. Grizzly bears are less tolerant of human activity compared to black bears. While attacks by grizzlies are rare, they can be serious and all bears should be given respect and distance.

Grizzly Mom with her three Cubs. Grizzly bears tend to be solitary animals except for females raising cubs, individuals congregating around food sources, or during mating season in late June. They have excellent memories and the females teach their offspring where to find food. Females will keep their offspring for at least two summers and are fiercely protective of their young. Young females may stay nearby while young males tend to disperse to set up a home range in a new area

Grizzly shaking off the excess water after dunking his head in The Chilko River trying to catch a spawning Sockeye Salmon. I would say they get one 50% of the time.

Grizzly Bear - Grizzly Bears have a very large home range that they will roam through. It is common for them to spend hours a day walking around. They mostly move at a steady pace but don’t underestimate them. When they need to move quickly through their habitat it can be done so at a speed of up to 30 miles per hour.

Blonde Chilcotin Grizzly. Most Grizzlies are 'grizzled' looking with dark hair with white tips. I have only seen blonde Grizzlies in The Chilcotin area, but they must be other places as well.

First Year Grizzly Cubs keeping up with Mom.

Grizzly Cub Triplets keeping up with Mom. They walk many km (miles) a day along the shore of Chilko Lake. It is quite amazing the ground they cover in an hour.

Grizzly Cub Triplets following Mom along the shore of Chilko Lake

Grizzly Triplets walking along Chilko River. Grizzly bears are born blind and without fur. At birth they weigh about a pound, but they gain weight quickly because mother’s rich milk contains 33% fat.

Mom Grizzly fishing while her Triplets keep watch. Chilko River.

Grizzly Triplets. They weigh around 36 kg or 80 lb at eight months old.

Mom Grizzly making short work of this Sockeye Salmon.

Mom Grizzly ripping the skin off the Sockeye Salmon. The skin let go before she expected it to !!!! It was actually quite funny!

Mom eats first. A rule. The Cubs have to wait until she gives permission. The Cubs are swimming and Mom is standing The Chilko River.

Mom Grizzly with her two and a half year old daughter. They got into a couple a fights that we could hear. Heavy fur coats for upcoming hibernation.

This is the other boat in our group. Only three photographers and a guide. Excellent shooting opportunities. Our boat is the same.

Blonde headed Grizzly along the Chilko River. She is looking for spawning Sockeye Salmon.

Yes, a snowstorm on The Chilko River. Not much fun.

Bald Headed Eagle on take-off. Bald Eagles take about 5.5 years to mature to the typical white head and tail and solidly dark chocolate brown body, legs and wing feathers of an adult.

Grizzly Bear running. We could see no reason for it, but this Grizzly took off at top speed along the shore of The Chilko River. He had been comfortable with us watching and photographing him. Grizzly bears are able to run as fast as 55 km (35 mph). They seem to be more active at dawn and dusk, but may come out any time.

Lone Grizzly walking along the shore of The Chilko River looking for spawning Sockeye Salmon.

Male Grizzly Bear taking a look around. There is female with two cubs just up river.

Mom and her Twin Cubs walking along the Chilko River shoreline keeping an eye out for Spawning Sockeye Salmon. She has not picked up the scent of the male Grizzly around the corner ahead.

Mom and Second Year Cub at the Lodge. The Grizzlies seemed to like the grass around the Lodge. We had to be VERY 'Bear Aware'.

Snow Capped Mountains overlooking Chilko Lake. 80 km (50 miles) long and glacier-fed, Chilko Lake is the largest natural, high-elevation freshwater lake in North America. The crystal-clear Chilko Lake is surrounded by extraordinary mountain scenery, and is one of the most visually appealing wilderness lakes in British Columbia

Common Merganser Ducks The common merganser or goosander is a large seaduck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, the northern and central Palearctic, and North America.

Evening Stroll. Mom Grizzly and her singleton Cub take a walk along The Chilko River at sunset.

Bald Headed Eagles. Female bald eagles weigh approximately 6.5 kg (16 lb) with a wingspan of roughly 2.4 meters (8 feet), while male eagles are slightly smaller weighing in at approximately 4.5 kg (10 lb) with a wingspan of roughly 1.8 meters (6 feet).