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)
Offspring Of: 209 Beauty (1998 litter w/sibling 402)
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..
Identification:[]
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 403 Egberta was part of 209 Beauty's 1998 litter with sibling 402.
1999:[]
403 Egberta was a yearling in 1999 remaining in the family group with her mother, 209 Beauty and sibling 402.
2000:[]
403 Egberta was emancipated by 209 Beauty in 2000.
2002:[]
June 2002:[]
August 2002:[]
September 2002:[]
October 2002:[]
2004:[]
July 2004:[]
2004.07.15: 403 Egberta photo by Ranger Roy Wood.
2005:[]
403 Egberta had her first and only known litter of offspring in 2005, a single male spring cub, Ugbert.
September 2005:[]
2005.09.??: Could this be 403 Egberta, some with 2.5 year-old cub, Ugbert in these photos by Ryan Turner? Photo #1 403? only , Photo #2 403 Egberta & Ugbert? , Photo #3 403 Egberta & Ugbert?, Photo #4 403 Only?
2005.09.10: Could this be 403 Egberta in this photo by Ryan Turner?
2006:[]
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:[]
2007:[]
403 Egberta kept her male cub, Ugbert, now a 2.5 year-old into his 3rd summer.
July 2007:[]
'
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:
403 Egberta with Ugbert on lip: Photo #1 , Photo #2 , Photo #3 , Photo #4 , Photo #5 , Photo #6 , Photo #7 , Photo #8 , Photo #9 , Photo #10 , Photo #11 , Photo #12 , Photo #13 , Photo #14 , Photo #15 , Photo #16 , Photo #17 , Photo #18
403 Egberta: Photo #1 , Photo #2 , Photo #3 , Photo #4 , Photo #5
August 2007:[]
403 Egberta and Ugbert can be see beginning at 3:15 into this video by maxventuri:
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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 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:
2014:[]
403 Egberta was included in the 2014 Bears of Brooks River book on page 60:
2015:[]
403 Egberta was included in the Bears No Longer Seen section of the 2015 Bears of Brooks Rivere book on page 83:
2016:[]
403 Egberta was included in the Bears No Longer Seen section of the 2016 Bears of Brooks River book on page 93:
2017:[]
403 Egberta was included in the Bears No Longer Seen section of the 2017 Bears of Brooks River book on page 97:
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.
Known Courting & Mating:[]
Add here
Known Relatives:[]
Mother: 209 Beauty, DNA confirmed
Father: 24 BB (aka Bald Butt), DNA confirmed
Littermate: 402, DNA confirmed
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.