Lucky - Feb 19, 2012At the Bear Center, Honey took a walk in the beautiful 40+ weather. That gave Lucky an opportunity to get out and eat some snow. He’s usually trapped in the back of the den unable to eat snow at the entrance like Honey does. As soon as he was out eating snow and getting weighed (370.5 pounds, 168.4 kg), Honey returned and turned his and her bedding into one big bed for her. Lucky returned and found Honey in charge. He whined to get in and finally made a quick entry to get a spot only to find an inhospitable den partner using the whole den. He scooted back out and is now lying in melting snow (Temp 37 F).
Lucky standing by tree - Feb 19, 2012Lucky has 6 options: (1) Try to catch Honey in a better mood. Maybe she will make sweet welcoming sounds again. (2) Wait until Honey takes a walk again and rake the bedding the way he wants it. (3) Use the den Honey used last year by the viewing windows (he looked at it today). (4) Use the rock den he shared with Honey a few years ago. (5) Make a bough bed in the snow by biting off balsam fir boughs and cedar boughs like wild bears sometimes do. (6) Something we didn't think of.
A video of Lucky head-rubbing a tree while he was out wandering and then attempting to rejoin Honey is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLsfhHGKI50.
Lily leans back and stretches - Feb 19, 2012In Lily’s den, the dynamic duo celebrated temperatures above 40 F by crunching some of the snow Lynn threw in yesterday. However, temperatures were undoubtedly cooler in their deep den where the cold rocks are slow to warm. The new camera position is allowing us to see further into the den and observe more of their activities.
A video of Jewel and cubs from yesterday is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K92o3T2zqRQ.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center