This Legendary Bear Matriarch is a Yellowstone Icon
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00 Down in the valley, two of this year's cubs have just emerged from their den.
00:11 A legendary mother leads the way.
00:15 Her name is Quad Mom, the matriarch of Yellowstone.
00:24 One of the most revered grizzly sows in park history.
00:30 In spring 2010, she emerged with four cubs, one of only a handful of quadruplets ever
00:39 observed in Yellowstone.
00:43 Quad Mom earned her name.
00:47 Her fame spread, and so did her many offspring, who now range through the greater Yellowstone
00:55 ecosystem.
00:58 Her legacy has helped bring grizzlies back from the brink of extinction.
01:05 Forty years ago, the Yellowstone grizzly was placed on the endangered species list.
01:11 At the time, fewer than 150 bears remained in the park, their numbers decimated by a
01:20 century of conflict with humans.
01:24 But, once protected, grizzlies flourished.
01:30 Today, more than 700 grizzlies call Yellowstone home.
01:38 Quad Mom is now more than 20 years old.
01:42 Time is no longer on her side.
01:45 She's among the oldest wild grizzlies ever to breed.
01:51 These young cubs could be the last of her many litters.
01:55 And the rising number of bears in Yellowstone has created a new challenge, competition.
02:07 A gash raked across her forehead is a sign of recent trouble.
02:15 It's the mark of an aggressive boar.
02:18 A territorial male will kill cubs to bring a sow back into estrus.
02:27 She can't let her guard down.
02:33 She catches wind of something just over the horizon.
03:00 The boar's scent has given him away.
03:04 Time to leave, and quickly.
03:06 (music)
03:24 (music)
03:30 (upbeat music)
03:32 you