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Out of the den

In January, snug in their dens, female bears have given birth, now all over Alaska and British Columbia, thousands of grizzly bears are emerging from their winter sleep and new cubs will see their first glimpse of the outside world. These young cubs are particularly vulnerable and surviving this first year is very hard, half of all grizzly bear cubs don't make it. Whether they survive is down to their ability to find food, and for these bears the best source of food is the salmon run. The conditions in the mountains have been good for beginning a family, but to find food, mothers must lead their cubs down to the coast where the snow will already be melting. But getting down the steep cliffs can be a challenge for small cubs.

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3 minutes

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