144 "Cubzilla" September 18, 2024 photograph by Melissa Freels (aka MelissainOR) (p 09/20/24 08:40). Please request Melissa's permission PRIOR to using her photograph!
Adult Male ("Cubzilla") (2023 - Present)
Year First Observed: 2020 (2.5 Year-Old Subadult)
Year of Birth: 2018
Year Last Observed: 2024
Known Offspring Of: 132 (Speculated per Bear Monitor Notes)
Genetics Study Samples Obtained: Unknown
Identification:[]
144 was born in 2018 to 132. He has three older siblings 805, 806, and 807 as well as two younger siblings born in 2021. He is also the uncle of 806's 2020 female cub. 805 is no longer seen.
Mckate's ID Tips: 144 is a large, lanky sub. He has a long tapered muzzle and long blonde-tipped ears. His coat is uniformly brown. He looks a great deal like his older sis, 806.
Mckate's 144 YouTube Playlist.
Distinctive Behaviors:[]
Mckate's Notes: 144 had a sibling who was killed by 856 on the evening of July 3, 2018. The incident is detailed in 132's wiki entry. Being the only remaining cub, 144 had a close and playful relationship with his mom. He was a large and rambunctious yearling and his mom sometimes attempted to find playmates for him. While 132 kept her previous litter for three seasons, it was obvious that 144 was keen to strike out on his own. So it was not a surprise that he was emancipated in 2020. Many thought that because he was such an independent male he might head for parts unknown, but he was seen by the bear monitor in both July of 2020 and 2021. I caught him just once early in the season in both years and will be keeping an eye out for him on the lower river in June and early July in 2022.
Life History:[]
2018: Spring Cub with 132 and Littermate, the 2nd spring cub was killed by 856 on 7/3/2018[]
2019: Yearling Cub with 132[]
2020: Newly Emancipated 2.5 Year-Old Independent Male Subadult[]
July 2020:[]
144 appears on the list of Bears Monitored in July 2020.
2020 Season Official Bears Monitored List provided by Ranger Lian April 14, 2022 10:12
2020.07.04: 171 returns without her yearling, 7/4/2020 video by mckate. "But arrives with some large sub, maybe 144? Bizarre."
4 Jul 2020- 171 Returns Without Her Yearling
Video by mckate
2020.07.16: 144 July 16, 2020 NPS photo by Ranger T. Carmack KNP&P Flicker.
144 July 16, 2020 NPS photo by T Carmack KNP&P Flickr
2020.07.23: 144 July 23, 2020 NPS photo by Ranger T. Carmack KNP&P Flicker.
144 July 28, 2020 NPS photo by T Carmack KNP&P Flickr
2021: 3.5 Year-Old Male Subadult[]
July 2021:[]
144 appears on the list of Bears Monitored in July 2021.
2021 Season Official Bears Monitored List provided by Ranger Lian April 14, 2022 10:12
2021.07.24: Three 7/24/2021 photos of 144 by Rick Espinosa (shutterdad.com), #1, #2 and #3.
2021.07.28: 831 flirts with 144, 7/28/2021 video by mckate. "It looked like 831 and a sub, who I think looks like 'Cubzilla', were sending play signals to each other. Then they got together and it looked like 831 changed her mind or things just fizzled. Silly bears."
28 Jul 2021- 831 Flirts with 144 (explore.org)
Video by mckate
2022: 4.5 Year-Old Male Subadult[]
2022 Season: 4.5 Year-Old Male Subadult[]
2022.??:??: Jen Kampmann's 2022 Instagram video of 144 catching and eating a salmon.
July 2022:[]
144 appears on the list of Bears Monitored in July 2022.
2022 Official Bears Monitored List provided by Ranger Lian, posted by Mazey 10/31/22 09:41
2022.07.??: Nicole Tow's July 2022 Instagram photos of 144, #1 and #2. "Big bear. Little rock."
2022.07.27: 144 arrives, 7/27/2022 video by mckate. "Sure looks like his profile. I really had to piece this together, so hope we get a better look soon."
27 Jul 2022- 144 Arrives
Video by mckate
2022.07.28: 144 and 230 float by, 7/28/2022 video by mckate. "Those ears! That profile! I'm pretty sure that's 144 on the right."
28 Jul 2022- 144 and 230 Float By (explore.org)
Video by mckate
144 checks out the falls, 7/28/2022 video by mckate. "Good to see him venture up river. He was mostly brought up as a lower river bear."
28 Jul 2022- 144 Checks Out the Falls Action (explore.org)-2
Video by mckate
LunaCre's 7/28/2022 gif of 144.
144 July 28, 2022 gif by LunaCre
2022.07.29: Lori Hocking's (aka Lovethebears1) two 7/29/2022 photos of 144 and 133, #1 and #2. Lori Hocking's (aka Lovethebears1) three 7/29/2022 photos of 144, #1, #2 and #3. Lori Hocking's (aka Lovethebears1) two 7/29/2022 photos of 144, #1 and #2.
Please request Lori's (aka Lovethebears) permission prior to using her photographs!
_and_144_(back)_July_29,_2022_photo_by_Lori_Hocking_(aka_Lovethebears1)_.01.jpeg "133 (front) and 144 (back) July 29, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .01.jpeg (137 KB)")
_and_144_(back)_July_29,_2022_photo_by_Lori_Hocking_(aka_Lovethebears1)_.02.jpeg "133 (front) and 144 (back) July 29, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .02.jpeg (134 KB)")
_.01.jpeg "144 July 29, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .01.jpeg (195 KB)")
_.02.jpeg "144 July 29, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .02.jpeg (180 KB)")
_.03.jpeg "144 July 29, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .03.jpeg (163 KB)")
_.04.jpeg "144 July 29, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .04.jpeg (109 KB)")
_.05.jpeg "144 July 29, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .05.jpeg (173 KB)")
144 does some fishing at the oxbow, 7/29/2022 video by mckate. "I don't know how long this boy plans on sticking around, so I'm documenting the heck out of him while I have the chance. Last season I only caught him once."
29 Jul 2022- 144 at the Oxbow (explore.org)
Video by mckate
2022.07.31: Lori Hocking's (aka Lovethebears1) six 7/31/2022 photos of 144, #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 and #6. Lori Hocking's three 7/31/2022 photos of 144, #1, #2 and #3.
Please request Lori's (aka Lovethebears) permission prior to using her photographs!
_.01.jpeg "144 July 31, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .01.jpeg (124 KB)")
_.02.jpeg "144 July 31, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .02.jpeg (159 KB)")
_.03.jpeg "144 July 31, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .03.jpeg (168 KB)")
_.04.jpeg "144 July 31, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .04.jpeg (158 KB)")
_.05.jpeg "144 July 31, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .05.jpeg (143 KB)")
_.06.jpeg "144 July 31, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .06.jpeg (165 KB)")
_.07.jpg "144 July 31, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .07.jpg (181 KB)")
_.08.jpg "144 July 31, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .08.jpg (217 KB)")
_.09.jpg "144 July 31, 2022 photo by Lori Hocking (aka Lovethebears1) .09.jpg (222 KB)")
144 plays with 903, 7/31/2022 video by mckate. "These two were really gassed. I wonder how long they'd been playing before the cam caught them?"
31 Jul 2022- 144 Plays with 903 (explore.org)
Video by mckate
August 2022:[]
2022.08.01: 144 enjoys his catch in the main channel, 8/1/2022 video by Birgitt.
144 Who Eats in Main Channel 2022-08-01 23-24-08 (explore.org)
Video by Birgitt
2022.08.02: "E" goofs around on a log with 144, 8/2/2022 video by mckate. "That's E standing on the log and his friend hitting him in his rather obvious dangly bits for fun. Boys."
2 Aug 2022- E Goofs Around on a Log with 144 (explore.org)
Video by mckate
2022.08.04: 144 watches the falls action, 8/4/2022 video by mckate. "I wasn't sure those were his ears. If this is Cubzilla, he's living up to his name."
4 Aug 2022- 144 Watches the Falls Action (explore.org)
Video by mckate
2022.08.08: 144 waits for scraps and plays with 903, 8/8/2022 video by mckate. "He was waiting for Otis to send some scraps his way until 903 interrupted him."
8 Aug 2022- 144 Waits for Scraps, Plays with 903 (explore.org)
Video by mckate
2022.08.16: 144 waits for scraps downriver, 8/16/2022 video by mckate. He appears to have a small scar/wound on the inside of his right front leg.
16 Aug 2022- 144 Waits for Scraps (explore.org)
Video by mckate
2022.08.18: Possibly 144 in this 8/18/2022 gif by LunaCre, "a healthy young bear (speculated to be 144) checked out the falls.
144 August 18, 2022 gif by LunaCre
September 2022:[]
144 appears on the list of Bears Monitored in Fall 2022.
2022 Official Bears Monitored List provided by Ranger Lian, posted by Mazey 10/31/22 09:41
2023: 5.5 Year-Old Adult Male[]
August 2023:[]
2023.08.17: 144 arrives on the lower river in mckate's video:
17 Aug 2023- 144 Arrives on the Lower River (explore.org)
video by mckate
2024: 6.5 Year-Old Adult Male[]
September 2024:[]
2024.09.16: 144 "Cubzilla" returns to Brooks River in this video captured by Libby (aka Libbiticus).:
2024-09-16 144 "Cubzilla" returns, explore.org
video by Libby
2024.09.18: Melissa Freels (aka MelissainOR) captured this photograph of 144 "Cubzilla" (p 09/20/2024 08:40). Melissa shared this information with her photograph:
"The morning of September 18 was rainy and a bit windy, and there were just a couple of bears at the falls. This guy managed to sneak in and hang for a bit until 32 Chunk started to give him grief. This bear was ID'd on chat as 144, who many of us fondly know as Cubzilla. I thought you all might like to see a photo from that morning. It wasn't the best light for photography, but I think this still gives us a good look at him."
Please request Melissa Freel's permission prior to using her photographs!
2024.09.19: 144 "Cubzilla" was observed on this date. Looking for videos, gifs and/or photographs for this date.
2025: 7.5 Year-Old Adult Male[]
For Future Use
How They Got Their Nickname:[]
144 does not have an official nickname. The NPS has moved away from naming bears at KNP&P.
While waiting for an official ID number, 144 was referred to as "Cubzilla' by bear cam viewers because of his large size as a yearling. This is not an official nickname.
Known Courting and Mating:[]
Add here
Known Relatives:[]
132 family tree - updated Nov 2022
Mother: 132 Speculated per Bear Monitor Notes
Father: Unknown
Littermate: Spring Cub 2018, Littermate was killed by 856 on 7/3/2018
Siblings: 805, 806 and 807, 2014 Litter
2 Spring Cubs 2021 Litter, a 3rd spring cub was lost
Aunt: 306 (from 806's 2020 Litter)
Genetics Study Samples Obtained:[]
Unknown