23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
My hero: A bear cub looks up at its mother in hero worship

Being a mother bear is hard work. With high mortality rates getting cubs to survive the winter is an uphill task. At Lake Clark, this calm, vigilant mother seems determined to beat the odds. No wonder this little one seems to look up to her as a hero.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Anchorage, Alaska, Al, United States of America
Camera: NIKON Z 8
Copyright: © Prashant Chacko