Being Calmed by a Peaceful Old Bear
One of the first black bears I encountered during my second photography session at the American Bear Association was a young male who followed me way too close for my comfort. He was very persistent until another, more bear experienced, photographer sternly told him to “back off”. The photographer told me young bears can be very curious.
I have to admit I had a moment where I wondered what I was doing there. But then I spotted a very large, old bear sitting peacefully in the light of the rising sun.
First Light
This old bear (below) was in his 30s and a regular at the sanctuary. He had zero interest in me so I hung out with him until I got a little more relaxed about being around so many wild black bears.
First Light 14x11” watercolor ©2019 Susan McDonnell Private collection
I sat with this old bear for about twenty minutes. Like so many animal encounters I’ve experienced, it felt like a meditation, I disappeared and became the bear. My anxiety dissolved and for the rest of the day I calmly photographed countless bears as they went about their quiet bear lives.
July 20, 2022
Here are four more blog posts about my visits to the American Bear Association wildlife sanctuary:
A Wildlife Sanctuary Home to Black Bears