Bear Quints….once in a lifetime Photo
(The following “post” is taken from Tom Sears website and adapted or tweaked to bring it up to speed time wise and to make it more third person instead of first person about Tom.)
as told by Tom Sears
Black bears typically have two cubs; rarely, one or three. In 2007, in northern New Hampshire, a black bear sow gave birth to five healthy young. There were two or three reports of sows with as many as 4 cubs, but five was, and is, a very extraordinary and unusual event. Photographer Tom Sears learned of them shortly after they emerged from their den and set a goal of photographing all five cubs with their mom - no matter how much time and effort was involved.

He knew the trail they followed on a fairly regular basis, usually shortly before dark. After spending nearly four hours a day, seven days a week, for more than six weeks, he had that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and photographed them. He used the equivalent of a very fast film speed on his digital camera. The print is properly focused and well exposed, with all six bears posing as if they were in a studio for a family portrait.

Tom stayed in touch with other people who saw the bears during the summer and into the fall hunting season. All six bears continued to thrive. As time for hibernation approached, he found still more folks who had seen them, and everything remained OK. Tom stayed away from the bears because he was concerned that they might become habituated to him, or to people in general, and treat them as approachable friends. This could easily become dangerous for both man and animal.

After Halloween of 2007 there were no further reports and Tom could only hope the bears survived until they hibernated. In the spring of 2008, just before the snow disappeared, all six bears came out of their den and wandered all over the same familiar territory they trekked in the spring of 2007.

Tom saw them before mid-April and dreamed nightly of taking another family portrait, a highly improbable second once-in-a-lifetime photograph.

On 25 April 2008, he achieved his dream.

When something as magical as this happens between man and animal, Native Americans say, “We have walked together in the shadow of a rainbow.” And so it is with humility and great pleasure that Tom shares these exhilarating photos. The bears have not been seen together since - which is not unusual because bears typically only remain with their mother for two years. After that she chases them off so they can find their own lives.

If you love this story or photos. please pass them on with a link to Tom’s site! If you really, really love these prints and the story - you can contact Tom and order a print:

TOM SEARS • PHOTOGRAPHER
P.O. Box 102 • Wentworth, NH 03282
Phone: 603-764-9923
Email: [email protected]