When It’s Unbearably Hot, What’s a Mama Bear to Do?


Tracker Kim Cabrera stitched together this footage from game cameras she set up around Southern Humboldt. This one mainly focuses on a bear wallow– “a depression in a wet area caused by bears wallowing in the mud to keep cool on hot summer days. Over the years, the wallowing of the bears deepens and widens the depression, affecting the ecology of the area.”

In the first part, a mother bear bathes with her cubs. Later, several different adorable cubs make appearances as do a few handsome adult bears.

Cabrera makes regular videos on nature. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel for more informative short videos on the natural world around us here in the Emerald Counties.

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Walter
Guest
Walter
6 years ago

Very cool… THANK YOU

The legend
Guest
The legend
6 years ago

So hot i could bearly stand to watch

G-MAS
Guest
G-MAS
6 years ago

Magnificent Thank you very much for making my day!

shak
Guest
shak
6 years ago

That was a joy to watch, especially at 3:30 mark.

Kim Cabrera
Guest
Kim Cabrera
6 years ago
Reply to  shak

My favorite part too!

Gypsy Rose
Guest
Gypsy Rose
6 years ago

All I can say is Awww

MOGTX
Guest
6 years ago

thank u kym ,for all you do

Spinnerholm
Guest
Spinnerholm
6 years ago

Awesome, Kim! Love your tracking videos!

Kim Cabrera
Guest
Kim Cabrera
6 years ago
Reply to  Spinnerholm

Thanks Spinnerholm!

Poppins
Guest
Poppins
6 years ago

Sweet video to watch after a hard day at the preservice at our school district. We learned more about traumatized children and the horrific level of suicide in Humboldt county. Thank you for lightening it up for us.

Kim Cabrera
Guest
Kim Cabrera
6 years ago
Reply to  Poppins

<3

Meow
Guest
Meow
6 years ago

Probably will die now bc of all the chemicals they are exposed to because of all the dirty marijuana grows.

Kim Cabrera
Guest
Kim Cabrera
6 years ago
Reply to  Meow

Fortunately, that’s not the case at this particular location. It’s clean.

Kim Cabrera
Guest
Kim Cabrera
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Even 75 degrees can be unbearably hot to a bear. If a bear is in direct sunlight, at 75 degrees, the tips of their fur can heat up to 175 degrees! Info from North American Bear Center. Thus, bears prefer forests and shade on hot days! And, of course, water!

Wow
Guest
Wow
6 years ago
Reply to  Kim Cabrera

Yes they are often just seeking shade, especially in areas near timber land, those logging ops dont leave much shade for the critters!!

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago

Is their coat color an age or sex thing? I’m beary curious.

Anon Forrest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

“My” three + are all different colors, from dark brown to rusty red. The oldest mama (to me) is red-orange, and the fur on her sides is so long that it moves in “waves” like a curtain when she walks. I’ve seen one walking home which was a tan-gold; just beautiful!

Kim Cabrera
Guest
Kim Cabrera
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Black bears come in many coat colors other than just black. They can be cinnamon, brown, black, bluish, or even white (the Spirit Bear is a black bear subspecies). The mother bear in this video is the cinnamon bear that Kym shared in one of my videos from a year ago. The one with the large male bear following her around. These cute cubs are the result. 🙂

Anon Forrest
Guest
6 years ago

This is a rough time of year for my little lily-koi “pond,” 8 feet in diameter, 30 inches deep. Starting in August and on to the rains, it is their private cool-tub. They don’t bother the fish, but they sure rip up the lilies. (sigh) But the joy I get from watching them out my kitchen window far out-paces the damage to the landscape. It’s all good.

THC
Guest
THC
6 years ago

I think the bear should be charged with illegal streambed diversion;<).

DogMom
Guest
DogMom
6 years ago

Thank you for sharing! This made my week so much happier! Kym is the BEST!

Double speak outside of cheek
Guest
Double speak outside of cheek
6 years ago

So beautiful I cried. I love nature. Thank you for such a beautiful video.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
6 years ago

Great video.

Help us all
Guest
Help us all
6 years ago

That looks like a fish and game diversion/ alteration… let’s put some resources on that!

Buzzards nest
Guest
Buzzards nest
6 years ago

Ahhhhh why do they need to create wallows??? Why not just go swimming in the rivers?

Kim Cabrera
Guest
Kim Cabrera
6 years ago
Reply to  Buzzards nest

They do swim in rivers too. But they also wallow in springs and other water sources, even mud puddles. Anything to cool off on a hot day!

Ivan B. Nobody
Guest
Ivan B. Nobody
6 years ago

Ya Mama Bear!