A denning Brown Bear, Ursus arctos, sow and two cubs killed in an avalanche on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

A denning adult female Brown Bear and her two cubs were killed by an avalan che during the winter of 1997-1998 on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Denning bears may be vulnerable to human-caused avalanches resulting from popular w inter recreation activities such as skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobile tr avel on steep slopes. The current popularity of helicopter assisted skiing and snowboarding means that even bears denning in remote sites may be at ri sk and small bear populations could be adversely affected.