A Black BearA black bear cub wakes up from a nap. (Photo David A. Murray)

Luck. Time on target. These are some of the ingredients for successful wildlife photography. Spend enough time pursuing your target and sooner or later you get lucky. After countless hours of photographing and scouting black bears, I got lucky.

The American Black Bear is the only native species of bear in the east.

Adult black bears have an impressive physical appearance; a large head with a long snout and strong jaws, coupled with large paws equipped with lethal claws, the black bear is one of the most respected mammals in the forest.

A black bear cub is born during winter hibernation in February or March. Survival is difficult for a bear cub; it starts life hairless, helpless, and unable to open its eyes for about a week. A cub nurses for about two months and stays with its mother for one or two years or until she is ready to breed again.

This image is of a bear cub estimated to be nine or ten weeks old. When I first came upon the cub I immediately sensed there was something wrong. It's very unusual for a cub, particularly at this age, to not be with its mother. Most mother bears will not leave a cub for more than a few minutes, if at all. A mother bear is very protective and will attack if she perceives danger to her cub. Fortunately, I was able to stay at a safe distance and observe the situation.

After watching and waiting for an hour, with the cub still in the same tree and no sign of mother bear, I decided to cautiously take a few photographs. I didn't want to stress the cub, and kept the photographing brief. Later that day, a return trip found the little bear in the same tree and still alone. After a couple more visits, it became painfully obvious that this cub was an orphan. Unfortunately, this happens occasionally when the mother develops problems while giving birth and dies soon after, or when a first-time mother is unable to adjust to nursing or motherhood and abandons the cub. We will never know what Mother Nature dealt this pair.

I contacted a Wildlife Biologist and took him to the bear cub. We observed the cub foraging for greens and dandelions. Although this was a positive sign that the bear was getting some nourishment, this would not provide an adequate diet for the youngster.

In a situation like this, the unwritten law is to interfere as little as possible with Mother Nature. However, it became apparent, as the days went by, the little cub was not getting enough protein and was becoming weaker. The Wildlife Biologist decided to supplement the cub's diet with dry dog food and milk, leaving the food in a bowl at the base of the cub's tree.

The trust level grew and the bear cub would leave the security of its tree and come down to greet me when I arrived; a very special bond had developed. It seemed as though it had adopted me as a surrogate parent and even felt secure enough to curl up and sleep at the base of its tree - secure that I would protect it. This image is as it woke from a short nap.

Black bear photos can be difficult for many reasons. First, bears are very difficult to locate and get close to. Always use your longest lens to ensure a safe distance from the bear; a 400 mm lens should be the minimum length.

Another challenge photographing a black bear is their color. It is impossible for a light meter to give an accurate exposure for a black subject. To determine the proper exposure, take a meter reading from something middle-tone that is in the same light as your subject. Many things are available to use, such as a "gray card" (available at photography stores), average-tone green grass, or a gray tree trunk, as some examples. Then, from your middle-tone meter reading, increase the exposure by about one-stop. For example, if the middle-tone meter reading is f 8 at 1/500 then open up to f 8 at 1/250 or f 5.6 at 1/500, in either case the result will be the same. This will produce a properly exposed dark subject with nice detail. Of course, how much to increase the exposure will vary depending on the darkness of the subject and the light it is in; here, experience is the teacher.

For three days the bear cub remained in the tree it called home. However, on the fourth morning the cub was gone. My heart sank, and the optimism that this little orphan might survive drifted away. The bond we created was all that remained, and a search of the area confirmed my sadness. Chances of survival for an inexperienced cub, alone in the deep woods, are not good. Mother Nature will determine the fate of this young black bear cub. For this photographer, it was a very special opportunity and fortunately will live forever in my photographs.

Good shooting!

For questions or comments, P.O. Box 59, Southport, ME 04576 or e-mail: mail@davidamurray.com.

This "Waking Up From A Nap" image is available at www.davida murray.com, or at David A. Murray's Wildlife & Outdoor Images, 17 Commercial St., Boothbay Harbor (633-7878). Now open weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.