A mother bear can bring yearling cubs to the hide area in early parts of May. Although cubs are already one year old, male bears are a big threat to them, but they understand this and can escape. Yearling cubs are bigger than new-born cubs, but they are still clearly smaller than their mother.
The best time to photograph cubs is during August and September when newborn cubs and yearling cubs visit the hide area regularly with their mothers. Cubs, as all bears, are omnivores and the biggest part of their diet is meat, with around one third of the diet containing berries. The yearling cubs’ life is now at the point when they are learning the basics of independent life. Their behaviour may seem unsure, dubious and even silly compared to mature fully grown bears.