Tim O'Leary has a knack for taking unforgettable images of Yellowstone ecosystem and Big Horn Basin wildlife. His award winning photographs are his pride and his work in the habitat is his joy. Yet, some images he wishes he could erase from his memory.

Tuesday, O'Leary was on the way to the park well before sunrise when he came upon a dead grizzly bear cub by the side of the famous North Fork Highway (U.S. Highway 14/16/20W). He immediately called Wyoming Game and Fish Department Senior Wildlife Biologist Phil Quick to report the sad discovery, then waited for him to arrive "to watch his back" as he searched the area.

"I figured he could use an extra set of eyes," he said.

When Quick arrived the two spent 10 minutes glassing for the sow before investigating. That's when Quick found the other two cubs. O'Leary knew there was too much meat and debris on the road for there to have only been one animal "the size of a dog" struck, he said.

O'Leary later reported the tragedy on his Facebook page.

"It was barely daylight. Given the amount of blood and debris on the highway, I figured more than just a cub was hit," he said about the gory scene.

Meanwhile, other local photographers reported seeing a single adult grizzly bear wandering the area near the accident scene, possibly looking for her cubs. For those who cherish the ecosystem's charismatic wildlife, the incident is heartbreaking, O'Leary said.

Bears on the road

This is not the first time bears have been hit on the highways leading to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Nor is this the first time O'Leary has found dead bears on the road. This incident brought on immense sadness from the passionate outdoorsman, but he doesn't blame the driver. It was very dark, despite a full moon, and it occurred on a blind curve, he said in a Wednesday interview with the Tribune.

The following day O'Leary still couldn't stop the memories from flashing to the scenes now locked in his head.

He was asked if he would move the cub off the road prior to Quick arriving — before another accident could happen. He agreed, but the act of removing the cub and the rest of the events of pre-dawn Tuesday were too much for O'Leary emotionally. He fought back his sadness, apologizing for his reaction.

O'Leary strives to not become attached to his photographic prey.

"I'm out there a lot. I've seen a lot. It doest affect me, and, for that reason, I do not try not to have a bond with these animals," he said. "I just don't think it's healthy to have a personal connection with this wildlife."

O'Leary said he also avoids naming the bears because of the personal connection associated with names. Mother Nature can be cruel, but scenes like these can be avoidable, he said, acknowledging the common speed of traffic he see's on the road to Yellowstone is often higher than the limit.

"The posted speed limit is 50 mph. I wish people would drive this speed or less in the dark. There is a large loss of wildlife along this highway," he said.

So far in 2026, seven grizzly bears have been reported killed by vehicle strikes among the 70 on the U.S. Geological Survey's provisional list of known and probable mortalities this year.

Last year a record 74 grizzly bears were reported on the list. This year the mortalities are likely to break the record, considering the species is in hyperphagia, hoping to pack on pounds prior to hibernation. The year has already seen a high rate of conflicts, according to Game and Fish Large Carnivore Supervisor Dan Thompson.

"We're always pretty busy," he said. "This year, it's a lot more."

Thompson said the lack of winter last year, coupled with some unfortunately timed frost, changed some of the food sources for this summer. Also, record heat and drought didn't help ease the conflicts throughout the course of summer.

"Bears are very adaptable animals at finding food. It's what drives all that. More human use of areas that are bears' habitat, and bears expanding into areas that are human use areas. It's a combination of all those factors," he said.

That said, the population of bears in the ecosystem has reached more than 1,000 individuals, according to reports from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team.

The best thing to do is to call Game and Fish if you hit wildlife, Thompson said. However, he understands why people might hesitate to take responsibility for accidents with bears.

"If something like that happens, we appreciate hearing about it. But I think people are reluctant to call because of the public backlash and people looking for a crucifixion for someone who was just driving," he said. "We'll never know the specific circumstances of what happened here. But it is a good reminder [to drive cautiously]."

Accidents with wildlife are common on the road and those who travel it frequently know the likelihood of finding wildlife in their headlights.

The speed limit is 50 mph through the Shoshone National Forest leading to the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

Documenting wildlife

O'Leary has had a love affair with nature photography since meeting National Geographic photojournalist William Albert Allard in the 70s. He watched Allard photograph traditional branding on the ranch Tim worked on during the 70s.

“I got to know him, hanging out and watching what he was doing, and then seeing the book published,” he said.

One thing Allard said has stuck with him all these years.

“If you want to set yourself above the others, you got to have passion,” he said.

Allard became Tim’s first photographic mentor over those two summers, but Tim had a long career ahead of him, ending as the chief financial officer of Blair Hotels before he started taking his art seriously.

“I take a lot of pride in what I do and I won’t publish anything on social media or in a calendar that isn’t top notch. I mean, if it’s not really, really good, it just doesn’t make the cut,” Tim said.

Now, in retirement, O'Leary is working feverishly alongside his wife Peggy to document local wildlife. Tim has the photographic eye while Peggy keeps her eyes in the woods looking for photographic opportunities.

"She spots 80% of what I shoot when it comes to wildlife,” Tim said of his wife for the past 50-plus years.

She also keeps him safe. When his eyes wander from the road to a grizzly bear, elk or other wildlife near their path, she’s there to remind him to keep the tires on the road.

More about O'Leary's artwork: 2-tim-oleary.pixels.com

Bear Wise Wyoming: wgfd.wyo.gov/wyoming-wildlife/large-carnivore/bear-wise-wyoming