438 Flo July 2013 NPS photo from the 2015 Bears of Brooks River book page 41 (zoom)
Adult Female
Year First Identified: 1999 as an adult female, but older records suggest she was likely raising yearlings in 1997.
Year Last Observed: 2013
Known Offspring Of: Not known at this time
Known Litters of Cubs: At least 3 (including 1 litter from older NPS records)
Genetics Study Samples Obtained: Add here
Identification:[]
2010 - 2014 Bears of Brooks River books: 438 is a medium-small female with a light brown or blondish coat. She has wide-set and large blonde ears. Her muzzle is grooved and she has distinctive white claws.
2015 - 2018 Bears of Brooks River books: 438 is a medium-sized female with a blond coat in July. Her coat only darkens slightly in the fall. She also has wide-set and large blond ears as well as a grooved muzzle. Her claws are distinctly white.
Distinctive Behaviors:[]
2010 - 2018 Bears of Brooks River books: 438 was first classified as an adult female in 1999, but older records suggest she was likely raising yearling cubs in 1997. She raised her first confirmed litter into their third summer. In 2010, she kept her most recent litter into their fourth summer. It is rare for bears in Katmai to care for cubs for this long. In 2004, 438 and her cubs directly approached an angler with a fish on his line. Within 30 minutes, the family group moved downstream and they obtained a bagged fish from an angler who had dumped it on the beach as the family rapidly approached. In 2009, she and her two cubs obtained garbage from the incinerator building at Brooks Camp. After receiving this reward, they frequently investigated the buildings near camp and were difficult to haze away. Help keep bears from learning these behaviors. Store all food and garbage securely. Stay alert at all times and stop fishing well before a bear approaches within 50 yards.
Life History:[]
1996: Adult Female with Spring Cubs (per Older Records)[]
Older KNP&P bear monitoring records suggest that 438 Flo was likely raising yearlings in 1997. If that is correct, then 438 woud have been raising spring cubs in 1996.
1996 Season:[]
July 1996: []
1996.07.14-07.15: Park visitor aharon minkov captured this video that was filmed between 7/14-7/15/1996. From 0:00-0:49 a sow with 2 spring cubs can be seen by the corner. Could this be 438 Flo with 2 cubs of the year?
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1997: Adult Female with Yearlings (per Older Records)[]
Older KNP&P bear monitoring records suggest that 438 Flo was likely raising yearlings in 1997.
1998: Adult Female with 1 Remaining 2.5 Year-Old Cub (per Older Records)[]
Older KNP&P bear monitoring records suggst that 438 Flo was raising one remaining 2.5 year-old cub from her 1996 litter.
1999: Adult Female, 1st Year Identified & Classified per Current Iteration of Bear Monitoring Program[]
438 Flo was classified as an adult femlae in KNP&P bear monitoring records.
2002: Adult Female with 3 Spring Cubs (Males 83 & 868 Wayne Brothers)[]
438 Flo returned to the Brooks River with 3 spring cubs. Two of those three offspring came to be 83 Wayne Brother and 868 Wayne Brother.
October 2002:[]
2003: Adult Female with 3 Yearlings (Males 83 & 868 Wayne Brothers)[]
438 Flo returned to the Brooks River with the 3 yearlings from her 2002 litter.
2003 Season:[]
Park visitor, Eric Jones captured this video of 438 Flo and her yearlings being followed by an adult male bear. Eric provided this description of the interaction.:
"As this sow and her 3 cubs enter the river, one of her cubs tells Mom they're being followed by an adult male bear. Mom rectifies the situation.:
Thearctus also captured 2003 video of 438 Flo and her 3 yearlings at Brooks Falls. Two of these yearlings are believed to be 868 and 83 Wayne Brothers.
July 2003:[]
October 2003:[]
2004: Adult Female with Three 2.5 Year-Old Cubs (Males 83 & 868 Wayne Brothers)[]
438 Flo returned to the Brooks River with three 2.5 year-old cubs from her 2002 litter. In 2004, 438 and her cubs directly approached an angler with a fish on his line. Within 30 minutes, the family group moved downstream and they obtained a bagged fish from an angler who had dumped it on the beach as the family rapidly approached. Help keep bears from learning these behaviors. Store all food and garbage securely. Stay alert at all times and stop fishing well before a bear approaches within 50 yards.
June 2004:[]
July 2004:[]
2007: Adult Female with 2 Spring Cubs (Male 274 Overflow)[]
438 Flo returned to the Brooks River with 2 spring cubs. One of those two offspring came to be 274 Overlow.
September 2007:[]
2008: Adult Female with 2 Yearlings (Male 274 Overflow)[]
438 Flo returned to the Brooks River with 2 yearlings from her 2007 litter.
July 2008:[]
2008.07.26-07.27: 438 Flo and her 2 yearlings were photographed by Jim Chagares at Brooks Falls on 7/27 and 7/28/2008. Mike Fitz confirmed the identification from photos on a now inactive Flickr site . They can now be seen on Jim Chagare's website, photo #'s 150-152 and 158-159.
2009: Adult Female with Two 2.5 Year-Old Cubs (Male 274 Overflow)[]
438 Flo returned to the Brooks River with two 2.5 year-old cubs from her 2007 litter. In 2009, she and her two cubs obtained garbage from the incinerator building at Brooks Camp. After receiving this reward, they frequently investigated the buildings near camp and were difficult to haze away.
2009 Season:[]
2009.??.??: Video by Jim Balkins in 2009 shows 438 Flo with her two 2.5 year old cubs by the island at Brooks Falls (5:52-6:09). One of them is thought to be 274 Overflow.
2009.??.??: 438 Flo and her two 2.5 year-old cubs (274 is one of them) can be seen in the lower river at 1:00 moving between the wedge and the closed trail, and at the falls at 1:16 into this video by Cheri Gerwig.:
July 2009:[]
2009.07.05: Ranger Jeanne's photo of 438 Flo with her two 2.5 year-old cubs and 402 with her three yearlings.
2009.07.07: Ranger Jeanne's photo of 438 Flo and her two 2.5 year-old cubs.
August 2009:[]
2009.08.30: Vatsee flickr photos of 483 Flo nursing 274 Overflow and his littermate , 438 Flo sitting with 274 Overflow and his littermate, and 438 Flo with both 2.5 year-old, one of them resting their head on 438 .
October 2009:[]
2009.10.17: Ranger Jeanne's photo of 438 Flo nursing her 2.5 year-old cubs:
2010: Adult Female[]
438 Flo was included in the 2010 Bears of Brooks River book on page 37.:
July 2010:[]
2010.07.?? Mike Fitz shared a July 2010 photo of 438 Flo and her two 3.5 year old cubs during a 7/14/2020 text chat. In response to the question "Have you ever known any of the sows to keep their cubs more than 3 years" Mike Fitz replied: "At Brooks River, I've only observed one female keeping her cubs for more than three summers. In 2010, 438 Flo returned with two 3.5 year-old "cubs." "Flo had previously separated from her other cubs when they reached that age, so I was surprised when she did not separate from this pair in 2010. For the cubs, staying with mom another year offers many advantages. Since they are no longer small and vulnerable, they can accompany mom to more high-risk areas like the falls and occupy a higher position in the hierarchy. Indeed, I watched the family steal fish from bears they could not have intimidated had each bear been working alone. However, for mom the benefit of keeping cubs an additional year prohibits her from having another litter the following winter. Bears, like all mammals, have been toying with the proper length of parental care for offspring for millions of years. Some mammals have many offspring each year and provide little parental care. Others--such as whales, elephants, and humans--devote years of effort into raising just one offspring. For most mother brown bears in Katmai, 2-3 years seems to be the maximum length they'll keep their cubs before separating the following spring. Currently, that seems to be the evolutionary sweet spot that best balances a mother's reproductive potential with her cubs' survival."
Please request Mike Fitz's permission prior to using his photographs!
2010.07.??: Matt Hirt's July 2010 video titled "Beggar Bears." 16 Cinnamon (right) can be see waiting/begging for scraps from 218 Ugly (left) from 0:19-1:19. The same scenario is noted from 2:05-3:10 where 16 Cinnamon waits for scraps. 438 Flo (blonde) can also be seen in this video with her two 3.5 year old cubs (dark with reddish fur around their heads) One of these cubs is believed to be 274 Overflow. 438 Flo is seen with her cubs from 0:18-0:36 and the 2 cubs are seen from 2:38-2:46.
2010.07.14:
Ranger Jeanne's photo of 438 Flo and her two 3.5 year-old cubs stealing fish from an adult male.
Ranger Jeanne's photo of 438 Flo and her two 3.5 year-old cubs.
2010.07.17: Ranger Jeanne's photo of 438 Flo with her two 3.5 year-old cubs, 402, and an adult male on the lip of Brooks Falls.
2010.07.22: Jim & Deb Chagares captured these photographs of 438 Flo and her two 3.5 year-old cubs: #1 438 Flo (438 center between 402 center foreground and 634 Popeye center background) & 438 Flo's two 3.5 year-old cubs left (one of which is 274 Overflow); #2 438 Flo (left) with her two 3.5 year-old cubs (right, one of which is 274 Overflow); #3 438 Flo (left) with her two 3.5 year-old cubs (center & right, one of which is 274 Overflow); #4 438 Flo's two 3.5 year-old cubs (one of which is 274 Overflow); #5 438 Flo's two 3.5 year-old cubs (one of which is 274 Overflow); #6 438 Flo and one of her two 3.5 year-old cubs; and #7 438 Flo.
October 2010:[]
2010.10.08: Mike Fitz provided a 10/8/2010 photo of 438 Flo and her two 3.5 year old cubs during a text chat in September 2020, information posted via Lani H.
2011: Single Adult Female[]
September 2011:[]
2012: Single Adult Female[]
438 Flo was included in the 2012 Brown Bears of Brooks Camp iBook.:
July 2012:[]
2013: Adult Female Year Last Observed[]
438 Flo was last observed using the Brooks River in 2013.
July 2013:[]
September 2013:[]
2013.09.13: Park visitor Peter Zwiers (happyhoppywildlife) captured this photo of 438 Flo near the point on 9/12/2013. Her bright white claws are very noticeable. Mike Fitz confirmed the ID on 3/7/2020 and commented "Flo. Definitely. Look at her face. Do you see any resemblance to 83 and the late 868?"
2014: Information Only, Last Observed in 2013[]
438 Flo was included in the 2014 Bears of Brooks River book on page 40:
2014 Season:[]
438 Flo was not observed in 2014.
2015: Information Only, Last Observed in 2013[]
438 Flo was included in the 2015 Bears of Brooks River book on page 41.:
2015 Season:[]
438 Flo was not observed in 2015.
2016: Information Only, Last Observed in 2013[]
438 Flo was included in the 2016 Bears of Brooks River book on page 48.:
2017: Information Only, Last Observed in 2013[]
438 Flo was included in the 2017 Bears of Brooks River book on page 102. 438 Flo was moved to the Bears No Longer Seen section of this edition.:
438 Flo's infomation and photos remained the same in subsequent editions of the Bears of Brooks River books.:
2018 Bears of Brooks River book, page 107.:
How 438 Flo Got Her Nickname:[]
Add here
Known Courting & Mating:[]
Add here
Known Litters of Cubs:[]
Note: 438 Flo was first classified as an adult female in 1999, but older NPS records suggest that 438 Flo was likely raising yearling cubs in 1997. 438 Flo's first confirmed litter of cubs was in 2002 and her second confirmed litter was in 2007.
1st Known Litter: 1996[]
1996: Spring Cubs (At least 2)
1997: Yearlings (At least 2)
1998: 1 Remaining 2.5 Year-Old Cub
2nd Known Litter: 2002[]
2002: 3 Spring Cubs
2003: 3 Yearlings
2004: Three 2.5 Year-Old Cubs
Emancipated males are speculated to be 83 & 868 Wayne Brothers
3rd Known Litter: 2007[]
2007: 2 Spring Cubs
2008: 2 Yearlings
2009: Two 2.5 Year-Old Cubs
2010: Two 3.5 Year-Old Cubs
Emancipated Male speculated to be 274 Overflow
Known Relatives:[]
Mother: Unknown
Father: Unknown
Siblings: Unknown
Littermates: Unknown
Offspring:
2002 Litter: 83 Wayne Brother & 868 Wayne Brother (Speculated) & Possibly 68 (Speculated)
2007 Litter: 274 Overflow (Speculated)
Genetics Study Samples Obtained:[]
Add here