Shadow with gray faceFaith began sending low battery signals, so Sue and Bec seized the opportunity to add gaudy reflective plastic and ribbons to her collar. An important phone call interrupted their efforts to triangulate on Faith’s signal and she had moved away before they could continue their search. They began again and found she had retreated to a cool damp swamp in the heat of midday.
Faith sniffs vegetationOnce Sue and Bec knew they were close to Faith, they held up and called to her. She circled around and walked in on their back trail—sniffing vegetation they had brushed against as she came to them. She was calm as they replaced her GPS unit, bolted on fluorescent plastic strips, and tied on ribbons. She alerted to the sound of an ATV and stared intently in the direction of the sound.
Faith bedeckedThis afternoon they located Ursula to give her new batteries and add the fluorescent strips to her collar as well. While completing the work they multi-tasked and determined that all 3 of Ursula’s cubs are female.
Ursula's collar workBaiting for bear season began a week ago, and bear season starts a week from Sunday. Meanwhile, feeding stations are seeing more bears. One of them reported seeing gray-faced Old Shadow (26) and her 2 cubs today.
Thank you for all you are doing.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.