Apparently, grizzly bears enjoy a good snow day as much as the rest of us. A wonderful video filmed in Montana’s Glacier National Park captures a mother grizzly bear and her cub playing on a lingering summer snowfield, with the youngster eventually getting the hang of sliding downhill.
The footage was recorded from Siyeh Pass, where the person filming spotted the two bears enjoying the snow in the park’s high alpine terrain. The cub initially seemed reluctant to participate in the sliding, but eventually joined in and enjoyed a nice long ride down the slope.
The video was filmed from a considerable distance without specialized camera equipment, so the image quality isn’t particularly sharp. Still, it’s a pretty entertaining glimpse into the lives of two wild grizzlies and a reminder that snow-covered slopes aren’t exclusively for skiers and snowboarders.
It’s also not the first time bears have been spotted sliding around on summer snowfields in Glacier National Park. The park’s high-elevation terrain can retain patches of snow well into the warmer months, creating opportunities for encounters like this one.
While the footage is adorable, it’s worth remembering that grizzly bears, particularly mothers with cubs, need plenty of space. The National Park Service requires visitors to stay at least 100 yards from bears and recommends using binoculars or telephoto lenses rather than approaching wildlife for a better view.
Fortunately, the person behind this video chose to observe the bears from a long way off, giving the pair room to enjoy their snowfield undisturbed.
