A young male learning the river on his own, one play session at a time.

Born in 2022 and first identified as an independent bear in 2025, 694 is a rookie on a journey of discovery. As a cub, he and his siblings tailed their mother through much of Brooks River, though the family mostly avoided Brooks Falls. Now he may be realizing what he was missing. He investigates the falls and often catches salmon in the riffles just downstream, but he's still too small to compete with the big bears who prefer to fish there. Look for round ears set high on his head and hints of a lighter natal collar near his neck.

He's also a social butterfly, frequently making time to socialize with other bears, especially subadults his own age. But play doesn't always win: he sometimes breaks a session short to look for a salmon that captures his attention. Survival is never guaranteed for a young bear facing big competition, and nobody knows yet whether the falls will become his office. Can the kid with the full social calendar turn heads in the bracket?