|Paradise in Peril: Chilkoot's Brown Bears| by Lincoln Larson
March 10, 2004 : The Chilkoot Brown Bear Project I uttered the
habitual salutation as I began the trek down from my isolated
research cabin to the banks of Southeast Alaskaís Chilkoot
River. Although I saw no evidence of recent bear activity
through the light of my headlamp, I had no intention of
startling a 700-pound sow with cubs in the predawn of that cold,
rainy September day. At 5:00 AM, I was the only human being
walking along the river. As I approached my observation post, I
heard splashing nearby. Straining my eyes in the darkness, I
struggled to find the source of the commotion. Through my
binoculars, I could just a make out the silhouette of a subadult
grizzly devouring salmon carcasses on the riverís far bank, 60
meters away. At that distance, I was in no danger. Suddenly I
froze. A large, dark form shot into my field of view, no more
than 10 meters away. Even in the dark, I immediately recognized
the shape of a large female brown bear.