403 Egberta with 2.5 year-old cub, Ugbert July 2007 NPS photo
Adult Female~ No Longer Seen
Year First Identified: 2000 as 2.5 year-old subadult, however was observed coming to the Brooks River area in the late 1990's with her mother 209 Beauty and sibling 402
Year Last Identified: 2008 (or 2007) (multiple sources show both years)
Known Litters of Cubs: 1 (2005, single spring cub, a male, Ugbert)
Genetics Study Samples Obtained: It is not known to us how or when genetics study samples of 403 Egberta were obtained or by whom, but we do have the DNA evidenced known relatives listed below in the designated section of this page. Please see the "Known Relatives" section below..
2014 Bears of Brooks River book: A large female, Bear 403 has a blonde coat that darkens to reddish-brown in the fall. Her facial profile reveals a straight “Roman” nose resembling a polar bear rather than the classic dish-shaped face of a brown/grizzly bear. She resembles 402.
2016 & 2017 Bears of Brooks River books: 403 was a large female with a blond coat that darkened to reddish-brown in the fall. Her facial profile revealed a straight Roman nose resembling a polar or black bear rather than the classic dish-shaped face of a brown/grizzly bear.
Distinctive Behaviors:[]
2014 Bears of Brooks River book: As a subadult and young female, she became successful with multiple fishing styles, most uniquely diving. Along with submerging herself completely underwater to find salmon and roe, #03 fished the lip of the falls. She also stole fish. 403 intimidated sub-adults and smaller adult bears into giving up their fish, and has obtained fish from the lines of anglers. 402 and 403 are siblings, and while 402 frequently uses the Brooks River area, 403 has not been seen at all since 2008.
2016 & 2017 Bears of Brooks River books: As a subadult and young female, 403 successful learned to use multiple fishing styles, including diving. She would not only dive for salmon, but also salmon eggs. In July, 403 fished the lip of the falls and stole fish. 402 and 403 are siblings, and while 402 frequently uses the Brooks River area, 403 has not been seen at all since 2007 or 2008. (note: some sources say 2007, other sources say 2008)
Life History:[]
1998: Spring Cub w/Mother 209 Beauty & Littermate 402[]
Spring cub 403 Egberta was part of 209 Beauty's 1998 litter with sibling 402.
2000.09.18: 209 Beauty and her two 2.5 year-old cubs (not yearlings) were observed in a boat parked along the shoreline of Brooks River in the vicinity of the spit. Two life jackets were reported damaged.
2005.09.10: Could this be 403 Egberta in this photo by Ryan Turner?
2006: 8.5 Year-Old Adult Female[]
403 Egberta continued caring for her single male cub, Ugbert, now a yearling.
July 2006: Peter Thiemann visited Brooks Camp in 2006. He posted a video of 403 Egberta with her yearling Ugbert fishing on the lip on 3/11/2009. That video is in his Katmai-Alaska 2006 album. Photos in that 2006 album are from July, 2006.
2006.07.30: This 7/30/2006 photo by rock19086 appears to be 403 Egberta with her yearling Ugbert.
September 2006:[]
403 Egberta September 2006 NPS photo 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook
403 Egberta September 2006 NPS photo 2017 Bears of Brooks River book page 97
403 Egberta September 2006 NPS photo 2014 Bears of Brooks River book page 60
403 Egberta September 2006 NPS photo 2014 Bears of Brooks River book page 60
2007: 9.5 Year-Old Adult Female[]
403 Egberta kept her male cub, Ugbert, now a 2.5 year-old into his 3rd summer.
July 2007:
403 Egberta (top) with 2.5 year-old male cub, Ugbert July 2007 NPS photo 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook
403 Egberta July 2007 NPS photo 2014 Bears of Brooks River book page 60
[]
2007.07.11: Ranger Jeanne's photos of 403 Egberta & Ugbert: Ranger Jeanne shared the following information about each of the photos:
Photo #1 403 Egberta & Ugbert sacked out by bridge : "My shift was over and I was waiting on the lower platform to cross to the camp side of the river, but as soon as I saw this I knew I wouldn't be going anywhere fast."
Photo #2 403 Egberta nursing Ugbert : "At 2.5 years old, Ugbert is almost as big as his mother, Egberta, but he still nurses occasionally."
2007.07.28: Park visitor Florence Nobuko Smith captured these photos of 403 Egbert and her 2.5 year-old male cub, Ugbert:
KATMAI BEAR - BEST OF CLIP August 2007 video by maxventuri
[]
403 Egberta steals a fish from 856 in this video by maxventuri. Ugbert joins 403 Egberta after she secures the stolen fish. Kcanada commented regarding this video in chat on 1/30/2022.
"A year or so ago I finally got around to asking Mike about this video from 2007. It shows 402s sister 403 Egberta and her cub Ugbert stealing a fish from a bear. I had long been struck by the resemblance of the bear to 503. One day it occurred to me that maybe it was Artie, 402s male cub from her first litter that was seen at the falls until 2010, and who in the sole adult photo I’ve seen of him looks very like 503 with a little of 811 tossed in with the Artie having a finer muzzle than 503.
Honestly Mike’s answer was wholly unexpected to me, though I guess it shouldn’t have been. Egberta was stealing the fish from 856." Here’s the video:
KATMAI BEARS
403 Egberta and her cub Ugbert steal a fish from 856, August 2007 video by maxventuri
Katmai National Park volunteer John Castor captured a possible photo of 403 Egberta with her 2.5 year old cub Ugbert on 8/10/2007.
2012:[]
403 Egberta was included in the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook:
403 Egberta's page of the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook information section
403 Egberta's NPS photos from the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook gif created by Xander-Sage
403 Egberta's page of the 2017 Bears of Brooks River book, page 97
403 Egberta's page of the 2017 Bears of Brooks River book, page 97 ~ info only
How 403 Egberta Got Her Nickname:[]
It is not currently known to us how 403 Egberta got her nickname. This is one of the countless mysteries about 403's life history that we would like to discover.
Offspring: Ugbert, 2005 Litter
A photo of 403 Egberta and her male offspring Ugbert by John Pennoyer can be seen here.
Genetics Study Samples Obtained:[]
It is not known to us how or when genetics study samples of 403 Egberta were obtained or by whom, but we do have the DNA evidenced known relatives listed above in the designated section of this page. Please see the "Known Relatives" section above..
A special thank you to KCanada for the NPS photos from the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook.
A special thank you to Xander-Sage for the gif created of the NPS photos from the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook.
403 Egberta July 2007 NPS photo 2014 Bears of Brooks River book page 60
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