Looking at Ted’s chalet, I’d say we gave him a bit too much straw. I believe it is still piled up where we put it and he is not pulling it in. It’s nothing like a wild den, and we can’t learn anything if we can’t see him.
In the wild, many dens have no bedding. Jewel’s two dens with the Den Cams had none. She gave birth in one and shared the other with them when they were yearlings.
Ted in his den
Tasha selected her den when it had no leaves and she did little raking. We gave her several bags of leaves to make sure she was comfortable. We hope to get a Den Cam for that den next winter after building something this summer to stabilize it. We remember the good view of Holly we had in that den a couple years ago.
Manny and squirrelWe gave enough straw to Holly to bury herself when she first arrived three years ago. We went overboard because she had very little fur on her sides, but she has an excellent coat now. She sometimes moves her straw around in response to voles that invade it; but in this video, she seems to be sleeping through the action that starts at the 2 ½ minute mark. https://youtu.be/neMvHLi2-kI.
In the wild, no bear has bedding anything close to the amount of straw Ted has. He is barely visible in the picture from yesterday and invisible today. It’s hard to play mother nature. We’ll get it right.
On the balcony, Manny had some words of wisdom for Rocky the Red Squirrel. For the next 12 days, web store merchandise is 10% off for everyone and 20% off for members. Click here to visit the NABC online gift store. Thank you for all you’ve been buying. I have a feeling that when wearing my 4-bears t-shirt I’ll blend right in with Lily Fans at the LilyPad Picnic, and Lily Fans and I will know each other at the Bear Center this summer.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center