The first three are the same bear. I'm guessing she's a She-Bear because of her small stature. I'm also guessing she got kicked out of the den this spring by her mom who probably came into estrus (sp?) and needed to mate. Life is tough for bears. She's probably eating a lot of salad until she musters enough courage and hunger to just take down a calf elk or something. She was digging and digging and extremely intent on her digging. We had pulled off the highway in Wyoming outside of Grand Teton to see an overlook and viewpoint of the Tetons on the way to our campsite and there she was--about 10-15 yards away. She's probably about two years old, but I'm no bear expert. These are all just guesses.
The last photo is of a griz just south of Canyon in Yellowstone. He was also enjoying salad and very intent on getting the calories he could (guessing the gender). Bears need about 20,000 calories a day just to make it through hibernation, which is why they are called "generalists." If you're a mating female, you really need those calories or else you will never give birth. The actual calories you acquire say "yes" or "no" to whether you have cubs, no matter how many times you may have mated. No calories, no babies. Bears are big noses with four legs. They just need to smell their next meal and and get on with the eating.
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