700 Marge July 2016 NPS photo 2017 Bears of Brooks book
Adult Female
Year First Identified: 2003 as a young subadult
Offspring Of: Not known at this time
Known LItters of Cubs: Possibly 2 as of 2021 season
Genetics Study Samples Obtained: There were no known darting attempts, successful or unsuccessful, of 700 Marge by Ranger Michael Saxton for the genetics study in 2016 and 2017.
Identification:[]
2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook & 2014 Bears of Brooks River book: 700 Marge is a small adult female with a short brown coat. The fur on her face and legs is usually longer than on her body. She has a sharp muzzle and dark claws. Her triangular ears sometimes appear very large, especially early in the summer.
2015, 2016, & 2017 Bears of Brooks River book: 700 Marge is a medium-sized bear with a short brown coat. The fur on her face and legs is usually longer than on her body. She has a sharp muzzle and dark claws. Her ears sometimes appear very large, especially early in the summer.
Identifying the bears from season to season can be difficult due to differences in their appearance, even from year to year. On October 7, 2016 Mike Fitz shared an example using 700 Marge of how changes in a bear's appearance from one year to another can make it difficult to recognize them:
Distinctive Behaviors:[]
2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 Bears of Brooks River book: She is apparently wary aaround other bears (but relatively habituated to people) and kept cubs underneath the falls platform or treed them nearby while she fished. She acts very skittish around the falls in responsse to other bears.
She raised her first (and only known litter) into their thrid summer. In 2008, this family was more often heard than seen as her cubs were particularly volcal when begging for salmon.
Life History:[]
2003: Young Subadult[]
700 Marge was initially classified and assigned her bear monitoring number in 2003 as a young subadult. We have requested additional 2003 photos of 700 Marge from the rangers.
June 2003:[]
2004: Subadult[]
We have requested 2004 photos of 700 Marge from the rangers.
2005: Adult Female (700 must have mated in 2005)[]
We have requested 2005 photos of 700 Marge from the rangers.
2006: Adult Female with 2 Spring Cubs, 1st Known Litter[]
700 Marge had her first and only known litter of cubs, 2 spring cubs.
2006 season:[]
Could this be 700 Marge in 2006? Carol Moraga captured Brooks Falls video in 2006. A sow with 2 spring cubs is seen from 30:53-37:16. The sow appears a bit timid as she tries to fish and watch her cubs. The cubs and sow can all be seen climbing a tree at one point. At 37:17, 216 Marilyn arrives with her 2 yearlings. Mike Fitz commented on the video and said "that could be (700) Marge at 30:52. Not 100% sure though."
June 2006:[]
2006.06.27: NPS photos of 700 Marge and her 2 spring cubs taken during a late night bear monitoring session that continued into the early morning hours of June 28, 2006.:
2006.06.28: NPS photo of 700 Marge's two spring cubs taken just after midnight on June 28, 2006:
NPS photos of 700 Marge and her 2 spring cubs taken on the afternoon of June 28, 2006.:
2006.06.29: NPS photos of 700 Marge and her two spring cubs taken on the afternoon of June 29, 2006:
NPS photos of 700 Marge's 2 spring cubs taken during an overnight bear monitoring session that continued into the early morning hours of June 30, 2006. These two photos (#1 & #2 ) were taken after 23:00 Alaska time on June 29, 2006.:
2006.06.30: NPS photo of 700 Marge's 2 spring cubs taken shortly after midnight on June 30, 2006 during an overnight bear monitoring session that began late night on June 29, 2006.:
July 2006:[]
2006.07.01: NPS photo of 700 Marge on the lip of Brooks Falls. Note the scar on 700's right hip. You can see that scar on 700 in a July 16, 2006 photo by Nichole (links provided below).:
2006.07.05: NPS photos of 700 Marge with her 2 spring cubs.:
2006.07.07: NPS photos of 700 Marge's two spring cubs.:
2006.07.16: Nichole captured these photos of 700 Marge: Photo #1 (700 is on the left in the foreground, note the scar on 700's right hip like in the July 1, 2006 NPS photo above) & #2 (700 is in the foreground on the left)
Nichole captured the following 3 photos of an interaction between 216 Marilyn and her two yearlings vs 700 Marge and her 2 spring cubs. Nichole describes the interaction and the series of photos as follows::
"Now He Is Making Trouble ": "The little blonde runt in the middle of this image is the trouble maker. He is whining at the dark brown female who is not his mother, her cubs are behind her. Eventually the blonde runts whining resulted in......"
"Fight ": "resulted in a fight. The blonde female came to her whining cubs defense and stole the fish from the smaller, skinny brown female."
"Survival of the biggest ": "The blonde female dominated and the little blonde runt got part of the fish."
2006.07.18: Nette Bini's 7/18/2006 photo of 700 Marge nursing her 2 spring cubs.
2007: Adult Female with 2 Yearlings[]
700 Marge returned to the Brooks River with both yearlings from her 2006 litter of cubs.
2007 Season:[]
Alaskaflygirl captured this video that appears to be 700 Marge with her two yearlings during the 2007 season.:
June 2007:[]
2007.06.28: NPS photos of 700 Marge and her two yearlings.:
July 2007: []
2007.07.13: NPS photos of 700 Marge and her two yearlings:
2007.07.17: NPS photos of 700 Marge and her two yearlings.:
2007.07.20: NPS photos of 700 Marge with 236 Milkshake:
2007.07.28: NPS photos of 700 Marge and her two yearlings.:
September 2007:[]
2007.09.17: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
2007.09.21: NPS photos of 700 Marge & 700 Marge with 1 of her 2 yearlings.:
NPS photos of 700 Marge's yearlings.:
October 2007:[]
2007.10.05: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
2008: Adult Female with Two 2.5 Year-Old Cubs[]
700 Marge had two 2.5 year-old cubs that she raised in 2008, their 3rd summer. She raised her first (and only known litter) into their thrid summer. In 2008, this family was more often heard than seen as her cubs were particularly volcal when begging for salmon.
June 2008:[]
2008.06.28: NPS photo of one of 700 Marge's two 2.5 year-old cubs. Note: This photo was marked as one of her 2.5 year-old cubs.:
NPS photos of 700 Marge and her two 2.5 year-old cubs:
2008.06.29: NPS photo of 700 Marge with one of her two 2.5 year-old cubs.:
July 2008:[]
2008.07.13: NPS photo of 700 Marge with her two 2.5 year-old cubs.:
2008.07.19: Ranger Jeanne has photos of 700 Marge and her two 2.5 year-old cubs in her 700 Marge flickr album : Photo #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 , #6 , #7 & #8 .
2008.07.20: Ranger Jeanne has photos of 700 Marge and her two 2.5 year-old cubs in her 700 Marge flickr album : Photo #1 , #2 & #3 .
2008.07.22: 700 Marge and her two 2.5 year-old cubs fished the Riffles area. 700's cubs were at an age where some bears are already subadult bears, independent of the mother, 700's 2.5 year-olds still seemed to rely heavily on 700 for securing their food resources. Whenever 700 caught a fish, her cubs could be heard bawling loudly in an attempt to get their fair share of the catch. There were times when 700's cubs would gang up on other bears who had caught fish, chasing them and making the same bawling vocalizations.
2008.07.31: NPS photo of one of 700 Marge's two 2.5 year-old cubs . Note: This photo was labeled as one of the 2.5 year-old cubs.:
NPS photos of 700 Marge and/or her two 2.5 year-old cubs.:
September 2008:[]
2008.09.16: NPS photos of 700 Marge and her two 2.5 year-old cubs.:
2008.09.25: NPS photos of 700 Marge and her two 2.5 year-old cubs.:
October 2008:[]
2008.10.05: NPS photos of 700 Marge and her two 2.5 year-old cubs with 409 Beadnose:
2009: Single Adult Female[]
June 2009:[]
2009.06.23: NPS photos of 700 Marge:
2009.06.26: NPS photo of 700 Marge.:
2009.06.27: Ranger Jeanne has photos in her 700 Marge flickr album : Photo #1 & #2 .
2009.06.28: NPS photos of 700 Marge:
July 2009:[]
2009.07.08: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
2009.07.16: Ranger Roy's photo of 700 Marge.
2009.07.25: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
September 2009:[]
2010: Single Adult Female[]
June 2010:[]
2010.06.28: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
July 2010:[]
2010.07.03: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
2010.07.04: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
2010.07.11: NPS photo of 700 Marge.:
2010.07.19: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
2010.07.27: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
September 2010:[]
2010.09.05: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
2010.09.14: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
2011: Single Adult Female[]
July 2011:[]
2011.07.??: Madonna Martin Photography's July 2011 photos of 700 Marge, #1 and #2.
2011.07.22: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
2011.07.23: Ranger Jeanne's photo of 700 Marge.
2011.07.25: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
September 2011:[]
2011.09.14: NPS photos of 700 Marge.:
2012: Single Adult Female[]
700 Marge was included in the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook :
July 2012:[]
2012.07.25: NPS photo of 700 Marge:
2013: Single Adult Female[]
July 2013:[]
2014: 700 Marge Was Not Observed During Official 2014 Bear Monitoring Sessions[]
700 Marge was included in the adult females section of the 2014 Bears of Brooks River book on page 42:
2014 Season:[]
700 Marge was not observed during official 2014 bear monitoring sessions per the 2015 Bears of Brooks River book on 700's page (page 43).
2015: 700 Marge Was Not Observed During Official 2015 Bear Monitoring Sessions[]
700 Marge was included in the adult females section of the 2015 Bears of Brooks River book on page 43:
2015 Season:[]
700 Marge was not observed during official 2015 bear monitoring sessions per the 2016 Bears of Brooks River book on 700's page (page 52).
2016: Single Adult Female[]
700 Marge was included in th adult females section of the 2016 Bears of Brooks River book on page 52:
July 2016:[]
700 Marge made a brief appearance in July 2016 per the 2017 Bears of Brooks River book on page 57.
Since the bears of Brooks River are not tagged or collared, their movements outside of our view are largely a mystery. Perhaps 700 found a more productive place to feed in 2014 and 2015, but found it to be less reliable in 2016. Perhaps she avoided the concentration of bears on Brooks River while raising offspring. We will never know for certain the reasons for 700’s altered behavior, but her return is yet another example of the brown bears’ adaptable nature and ability to survive in a changing environment.
2016.07.06:
Ranger Jeanne has photos of 700 Marge in her 700 Marge flickr album : Photo #1 , #2 , #3 , #4 , #5 , #6 , #7 , #8 , #9 , #10, #11 & #12 .
Ranger Mike's July 8, 2016 comment regarding 700 Marge returning to Brooks River on July 6, 2016 for the first time since 2013 :
"Why do bears disappear from Brooks River? Do they ever come back?
Those are a couple of questions rangers are frequently asked. As you can imagine, bears don’t come back to Brooks River for a variety of reasons. They might have discovered another place to fish for salmon or another area rich in food resources. Obviously some bears that don’t return have died. Bears befall accidents, suffer from disease, and sometimes face starvation. Female bears with cubs may avoid areas with high concentrations of bears to give their cubs a greater level of protection. If a well known bear isn’t seen in two years, it’s reasonable to assume he or she won’t return for the reasons described above. However, there are exceptions—like 700 Marge.
700 was last seen in 2013. She was not identified in 2014 or 2015. However, she showed up a couple of nights ago.
700 Marge in 2013. Ranger Mike posted July 8, 2016 12:54
700 Marge July 6, 2016 Ranger Mike posted July 8, 2016 12:54
Where was she? What was she doing between then and now? We’ll never know. Bears at Brooks River are not tagged or collared, so their movements away from the river are largely a mystery. Perhaps 700 avoided the area because she had cubs, but she’s also taken cubs to Brooks River in 2006-2008. Perhaps she found another place to feed in July, but found it to be less reliable this year. Much of what bears do and why they do it are mysteries. Evidently, 700 found a way to make a living elsewhere. Her return provides another example of their flexibility in order to survive."
2017: Single Adult Female[]
700 Marge was included in the adult females section of the 2017 Bears of Brooks River book on page 57:
July 2017:[]
2017.07.09: Anna-Marie_AZ's 7/9/2017 photos of 700 Marge, #1 and #2.
2017.07.10: Anna-Marie_AZ's 7/10/2017 photo of 700 Marge.
2017.07.11: 32 Chunk displaces 755 Scare D. Bear, 273 and 700 Marge(?) video by Melissa Freels.:
2017.07.17: Anna-Marie_AZ's 7/17/2017 photo of 700 Marge.
2017.07.18: 83 Wayne Brother does not want 700 Marge in the far pool. At 52:00 she sneaks in, quickly catches a fish and leaves, 7/18/2019 video by Explore Recorder.
Bear Cam - Brooks Falls Cam 07-18-2017 20-00-07 - 20-59-59
700 Marge catches a fish in the far pool despite 83 Wayne Brother objecting, 7/18/2017 video by Explore Recorder
2017.07.19: Anela Marie Ramos's 7/19/2017 photo of 700 Marge.
2018:[]
700 Marge was included in the 2018 Bears of Brooks River book on page 58.:
700 Marge was not observed in 2018.
2019: []
700 Marge was not observed in 2019.
2020:[]
700 Marge was not observed in 2020.
2021:[]
July 2021:[]
2021.07.20: On 7/20/2021 a dark sow with a large yearling appeared on the Brooks Falls low cam, video by JG. JG noted that the sow looked like 700 Marge who has not been seen since 2017. A right hip scar was noted. 700 has had that scar for many years. Could this be 700 Marge who has not been seen in 4 years and had her last know litter of cubs in 2006? 700 has had years where she has not been returned to Brooks Camp. She has been seen more recently in 2013, 2016 briefly, 2017 and now possibly 2021. She skipped 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Has she had other litters of cubs and raised them elsewhere?
Mckate's 7/20/2021 video of 700 Marge. "Spotted by our eagle-eyed JG! 700 hasn't been seen since 2017 so had been relegated to the Bears No Longer Seen category. The profile and right hip scar do match her."
2021.07.21: 700 Marge was viewed a 2nd time with her cub on 7/21/2021, video by JG.
Mckate also captured 7/21/2021 video of 700 Marge and her cub. "Her right hip scar is more visible today."
Mazey captured two 7/21/2021 screenshots of 700 Marge and her large yearling, #1 and #2. The 2nd photo shows 700's right hip scar. Mazey asked Mike Fitz if this could be 700 Marge in the photos as well as the videos. "700 Marge and a yearling were possibly spotted by JG last night. They are back this morning at 07:50 AK. You can see a right hip scar on the sow." Mike Fitz responded "It does resemble her, for sure. Interesting if it is her, then her absence and reappearance fits her pattern over the last several years."
_and_her_yearling_July_21,_2021_screenshot_by_mazey.jpg "700 Marge (with right hip scar) and her yearling July 21, 2021 screenshot by mazey.jpg (218 KB)")
How 700 Marge Got Her Nickname:[]
We have requested information from the rangers as to how 700 Marge got her nickname .
Known Courting & Mating:[]
Add here
Known Litters of Cubs:[]
1st & Only Known Litter, 2 Spring Cubs, Kept Them Into Their 3rd Summer:[]
Note: 700 Marge is believed to have been seen on July 20 and 21st, 2021 with a large yearling. If this can be confirmed it would be her 2nd known litter,
2006: 2 Spring Cubs, 1st Known Litter []
700 Marge returned to the Brooks River with her 1st known litter of cubs, 2 spring cubs.
2007: 2 Yearlings[]
700 Marge returned to the Brooks River with the two yearlings from her 2006 litter.
2008: Two 2.5 Year-Old Cubs[]
700 Marge returned to the Brooks River with her two 2.5 year-old cubs that she raised into their 3rd summer.
Possible 2nd litter of at least 1 Spring Cub:[]
2020: At least 1 spring cub, not confirmed[]
700 Marge was not observed in 2020
2021: 1 large yearling, not confirmed[]
700 Marge was possibly observed by cam viewers on July 20 and 21st, 2021.
Known Relatives:[]
None known at this time
Genetics Study Samples Obtained:[]
2016: None Known, Successful or Unsuccessful[]
There were no darting attempts, successful or unsuccessful, of 700 Marge by Ranger Michael Saxton in 2016.
2017: None Known, Successful or Unsuccessful[]
There were no darting attempts, successful or unsuccessful, of 700 Marge by Ranger Michael Saxton in 2017.
2018: None Known, Awaiting Information from the Rangers[]
We are awaiting 2018 genetics study sampling information from the rangers.
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 creating the gif of NPS photos from the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook.