Year First Observed: 2019
Year Last Observed: 2025

Bear #26 is a female brown bear first recorded in 2019 at Brooks River in Katmai National Park and Preserve. She is identified by her dark face, lighter body, and blonde-tipped ears. When well-fed, a noticeable shoulder hump gives her a stocky appearance. During the 2021 season, she was observed with a right hind-leg injury but later moved normally and showed no visible signs of difficulty.

Bear #26 may be one of the spring 2017 offspring of Bear #435 "Holly," and possibly a sibling of Bear #25, though this has not been confirmed. She was less frequently seen in her younger years but has become more present around Brooks Falls and the riffles over time.

Fun Facts

• First identified in 2019 as a young subadult

• Possibly related to Bear #435 "Holly"

• Recovered from a hind-leg injury in 2021

• Recognized for her two-toned coat and blonde-tipped ears

• Her stocky build earned her the nickname “miniature bison”

• More frequently observed around Brooks Falls, especially during peak salmon runs