(KRON) –- Jean Zuo, a Cupertino mother of twin daughters, was visiting the Lake Tahoe area when she photographed a wild black bear feasting on salmon in a creek. One of those marvelous images captivated judges in the 2024 California Wildlife Photo of the Year, earning her the grand prize award.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the grand prize winner to its social media audience on Friday. CDFW Director Charlton Bonham personally selected Zuo’s image from 17 finalists, saying the photo’s “composition, lighting, and timing reflected not only the technical excellence we look for, but also the deep respect for the natural world.”
Zuo’s award-winning image of a cinnamon-colored black bear grasping a kokanee salmon in its jaws was taken in October 2023 while she was on a family trip celebrating her birthday. In the photo, the bear’s cautious eyes look back at the camera lens while lifting the fish from the cold, babbling Taylor Creek.
“That was my very first time visiting Taylor Creek, and capturing its remarkable wildlife,” Zuo said in a statement. “I photographed the California Black Bears and Kokanee Salmon; it was truly a privilege and one of my most memorable experiences.”
Photographing the Tahoe black bears and their prey, the kokanee salmon, led Zuo to dive deeper into the history of Lake Tahoe, she said. Zuo learned that kokanee salmon are not native to Lake Tahoe, but were introduced in 1944 when a fish hatchery overflowed. Because they are not native, the bears in the area did not instinctually eat them.
“Sixteen years ago, there was a drought in the Tahoe high country, and the bears started coming down into the basin in search of food, and they found the Kokanee Salmon,” Zuo said.
Bonham remarked, “Jean's photograph captured the raw beauty and life cycle connection between two species … It was a truly captivating moment.”
Zuo, who was born in China but has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since she was a teenager, said her goal is to “inspire others through my work, especially a younger audience, to learn more about California's Natural history, and the diverse wildlife simultaneously living alongside us.”
The California Photo of the Year contest is hosted by the California Watchable Wildlife Project.
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