408 CC (aka Crooked Claw) NPS photos from the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook gif created by Xander-Sage
Adult Female ~ No Longer Seen
Year First Observed: 2001 as Older Subadult or Young Adult
Year Last Officially Observed: 2010 (was she seen in 2017?)
Known Offspring Of: Unknown
Known Litters of Cubs: 1
Genetics Study Samples Obtained: Unknown at this time
Identification:[]
408 was a medium-sized adult female with a dark blond to blond coat. She had light blond ears and a long and slightly upturned muzzle. She had a crooked claw on her left front foot, hence her nickname. 408 was easily confused with 409 who also has light blond ears and a similar body and shape.
Distinctive Behaviors:[]
408 was first identified as a young adult female in 2001. Her behavior that year hinted at subadult, but she was pursued by male bears and had scars on the back of her neck, possibly from mating.
She fished the riffles below Brooks Falls and in the lower river area.
She was first observed with cubs in 2005. She was very attentive to these three cubs and occasionally charged other bears that were simply walking by. She raised this litter into their third summer.
Life History:[]
2001: Older Subadult or Young Adult, 1st Year Classified[]
408 CC was initially classified as an older subadult or young adult in 2001. Her behavior that year hinted at subadult, but she was pursued by male bears and had scars on the back of her neck, possibly from mating.
2002: Adult Female[]
July 2002:[]
2004: Adult Female[]
September 2004:[]
2005: Adult Female with 3 Spring Cubs, 1st & Only Known Litter, 128 Grazer, Speculated[]
408 CC returned to the Brooks River with her first and only known litter, 3 spring cubs. 128 Grazer is believed to be one of the offspring from this litter.
2005 Season:[]
2005.??.??: This 2005 iStock photo by jcrader is believed to be 408 CC and her 3 spring cubs. 128 Grazer is believed to be the spring cub in the middle. These two 2005 iStock photos by jcrader are believed to be 408 CC, #1 and #2.
2006: Adult Female with 3 Yearlings, 128 Grazer, Speculated[]
408 CC returned to the Brooks River with her 3 yearlings from her 2005 litter. 128 Grazer is believed to be one of the offspring from this litter.
July 2006:[]
2006.07.07: Park visitor Eric Dorondo's photo of 408 CC and her 3 yearlings.
2006.07.15: Park visitor, Bonney's photo of 408 CC with her 3 yearlings.
2006.07.16: Nichole's photo of 408 CC and her three yearlings. Nichole's photo of 408 CC's yearling, the runt (128 Grazer?).
2006.07.18: Park visitor, NetteBini's photo of 408 CC with her 3 yearlings.
2006.07.23: Park visitor, Peter Thiemann's photo of 408 CC with her 3 yearlings. 128 Grazer is believed to be the one to the far right of the photo.
2006.07.24: Park visitor, Peter Thiemann's photo of 408 CC's 3 yearlings. 128 Grazer is believed to be the yearling that is standing on their hind legs.
2007: Adult Female with Three 2.5 Year-Old Cubs, 128 Grazer, Speculated[]
408 CC returned to the Brooks River with her three now 2.5 year-old offspring from her 2005 litter. 408 CC cared for these offspring for the remainder of the 2007 season. When 408 CC was last observed in 2007 all three of the offspring were still with her. 128 Grazer is believed to be one of the offspring from this litter.
2007 Season:[]
NPS photo of 408 CC with her three 2.5 year-old cubs during the 2007 season .:
408 CC with her 2.5 year-old cub 128 Grazer, NPS photo from the 2015 Bears of Brooks River book.:
Videotographer abenteueralaska captured this 2007 video footage. 408 CC and her three 2.5 year-old cubs can be seen at 3:42 and 5:10 into the video. At 5:32, 410 is the sow with two spring cubs walking in front of 408 CC and her three 2.5 year-old cubs.:
June 2007:[]
2007.06.16: Ranger Jeanne's photo ol 408 CC with her 2.5 year-old cub (128 Grazer). Ranger Jeanne's photo of 408 CC's 2.5 year-old cub (128 Grazer).
2007.06.22: Ranger Jeanne's photo of 408 CC and her three 2.5 year-old cubs.
2007.06.24: Ranger Jeanne's photo of one of 408 CC's 2.5 year-old cubs.
2007.06.26: 408 CC and her three 2.5 year-old cubs can be seen in this Hoosier Tim's Travel video .:
July 2007:[]
Mike Fitz shared this July 2007 NPS photo of 408 CC (background) with her speculated sibling 409 Beadnose (foreground).:
2007.07.??: 408 CC can be seen playing with and swiping at one of her three 2.5 year old cubs in this early July, 2007 video by Hwaing Hsu. Mike Fitz commented on 2/15/2021 "That looks like 408 and one of her 2.5 year-olds from 2007. The cub isn't Grazer though."
2007.07.09: Steve Agrella captured photos of 408 CC with her three 2.5 year old cubs on 7/9/2007, #1, #2, #3 and #4.
2007.07.10: Park visitor Dan Lind visited Brooks Camp in July and captured photos of 408 CC and her three 2.5 year old cubs. One of these cubs is believed to be 128 Grazer. Photos #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 and #7.
September 2007:[]
2008: Single Adult Female, After Successful Emancipation of Offspring[]
408 CC is believed to have successfully emancipated her three offspring from her 2005 litter of cubs. 128 Grazer is believed to be one of those offspring.
May 2008:[]
"In early May 2008, 408 CC returned to Brooks River with her three 3.5 year-old offspring. We watched them play near Brooks Lodge before they disappeared into the forest". When 408 came back that July (acutally late June), she was single. She drove away her cubs sometime between those two events."
June 2008:[]
2008.06.28: Photo of 408 CC posted by Mike Fitz on August 13, 2017 at 20:53 .:
July 2008:[]
"When 408 came back that July (actually late June), she was single. She drove away her cubs sometime between those two events."
2008.07.06: 408 CC was observed fishing near the Riffles wildlife viewing platform on the evening of July 6, 2008.
2009: Single Adult Female[]
July 2009:[]
2009.07.14: Photo of 408 CC posted by Mike Fitz on August 13, 2017 at 20:53 .:
2010: Single Adult Female, Last Year Observed[]
July 2010:[]
2010.07.??: On March 13, 2018 at 18:52 former KNP&P ranger Mike Fitz shared this July 2010 photo of 409 Beadnose (foreground) and 408 CC aka Crooked Claw (standing in the background) .
Please request Mike Fitz' permission prior to using his photographs!
2010.07.26: Could this be 408 CC from 1:05-1:37 in this 7/26/2010 video by Gordon Laing?
Brooks Falls Bears Fishing - with Canon EOS 7D and HV30, July 26 2010 video by Gordon Laing
Video by Gordon Laing
September 2010:[]
October 2010:[]
2012: Information Only, 408 CC Last Officially Observed in 2010[]
408 CC was included in the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook.:
2014: Information Only, 408 CC Last Officially Observed in 2010[]
408 CC was included in the Bears No Longer Seen section of the 2014 Bears of Brooks River book on page 61:
2015: Information Only, 408 CC Last Officially Observed in 2010[]
408 CC was included in the Bears No Longer Seen section of the 2015 Bears of Brooks River book on page 84. 408 CC information and a 2007 NPS photo of 408 CC with 128 Grazer appears on 128 Grazer's page of the 2015 Bears of Brooks River book on page 29.:
408 CC does appear in later editions of the Bears of Brooks River books. Her information and photos are the same as in the 2015 edition of the book.:
2016 Bears of Brooks River book on page 94.:
2017 Bears of Brooks River book on page 98.:
2018 Bears of Brooks River book on page 103.:
2017: Was 408 CC Seen in 2017?[]
On August 13, 2017 at 20:53 Mike Fitz commented about the speculation that 408 CC was possibly observed during the 2017 season.:
"Last evening (August 12, 2017) Mocha posted a photo of a bear she saw at Brooks River.
The bear appears to be an older adult female and while I didn't recognize her, Mocha stated there was something 409-like about her.
Another cam viewer, kcanada had an interesting thought: This bear looks like 408, the suspected sibling of 409 Beadnose.
This is an intriguing hypothesis. In my opinion, the bear in Mocha's photos resembles 408 to me. However, at this time I am in no way willing to conclude it is 408. The bear just looks like her.
408 was last ID'd in 2010, and as far as I know, no bear has ever been absent from the river for so long and returned. 700's two year absence is the longest I know of. Bears posses the behavioral and physical capabilities to change their habits. Since Brooks River provides profoundly rich access to salmon, it's not common for bears to not return. Most bears seen each year were previously ID'd.
Last night, I browsed some old photos of 408. Here are two, the first is from 2008 and the second is from 2009 . What do you think?"
How 408 CC (aka Crooked Claw) Got Her Nickname:[]
408 CC's nickname was inspired by the crooked claw on her left front paw. CC is short for crooked claw.
Known Courting & Mating:[]
Add here
Known Litters of Cubs:[]
1st Known Litter: 2005[]
2005: 3 Spring Cubs
408 CC returned to the Brooks River in 2005 with her 1st and only known litter, 3 spring cubs.
2006: 3 Yearlings
2007: Three 2.5 Year-Old Cubs
2008: Successful Emancipation of Offspring
408 CC is believed to have successfully emancipated the offspring from her 2005 litter. 128 Grazer is speculated to be one of those 3 offspring.
Known Relatives:[]
Mother: Unknown
Father: Unknown
Littermate: 409 Beadnose, Speculated
Offspring:
128 Grazer (Speculated), 2005 litter
Stmango believes that 128 Grazer's littermates were both male.
Genetics Study Samples Obtained:[]
Add here
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 the NPS photos from the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook.