MisfitsCafe.com - Bear Quints - once in a lifetime photo-Enjoy

Bear Quints - once in a lifetime photo 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, very extraordinary. The photographer 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.  The photographer 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. The photographer 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, no further reports and could only hope the bears survived  until they hibernated. This spring, 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.           The photographer 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 I share these  exhilarating photos with you. Do pass them on!  .