This happened in the spring of 1964 when a family of 5 grizzlies decided to move into the family ranch with the Russel family in Alberta. The "family" consisted of a big older male, who had the hots for a female whose two large cubs were still hanging around despite the fact that Mama had gone back into heat. Usually, the mother drives off her young when that happens, if not, the courting male is normally VERY intolerant of the teenage cubs and runs them off himself. However, it is quite possible that the male was the father of the cubs. This would explain his tolerance of them and the female's tolerance of him being near her cubs. There is indirect evidence to suggest that dominant males provide some measure of protection towards the females they have mated with. There was also another cub who kept somewhat apart.
At any rate, four of the bears showed up quite unexpectedly in the driveway one evening. They stood around looking at the ranch buildings with a great deal of interest, and commented excitedly about it in bear talk, grunting and snorting and chomping their jaws and sniffing and rearing up to get a better look. They then moved into the heavy undergrowth below the ranch buildings and settled down, still whoofing and snuffling away. Later, the female explored about the yard and lost track of her cubs, but they soon started bawling and she made noises to reassure them and they all got together again.
The family thought that the grizzlies had wandered in by accident, but the next morning, they saw them resting in the sunny meadow below the house. They had found the carcass of a dead cow and were hanging around to feast on it. The big male and the other cub were nervous and tended to keep out of sight, but the female moved around the ranch with the relaxed confidence of one who owned the place. The ranching family of the Russels were very unusual in that they liked the great bears, but their feelings on this matter were not shared by their neighbors and they feared they would be shot if they went over to other properties, especially if they casually strolled into the fron yard and proceeded to comment on the architecture in grizzly talk.
