Precious Hope - 2010Five years ago today, Hope was born and brought together so many people who became friends and allies in spreading the truth about bears.
Three years ago today, Jewel gave birth to Fern and Herbie, her first litter. Here is the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eognFId4gFM. Fern may be spending her 3rd birthday today giving birth herself. Jewel is likely spending her 6th birthday snuggled up with yearlings Nate, Scott, and Mikah.
Jewel’s yearlings were named after two of my grandchildren, Nate and Mikah, and after Scott Edgett who some of you saw yesterday in our 39-minute podcast from the Northwoods Ecology Hall as captured by a Pondchat Mod https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouZF9rSH4dQ.
For Juliet, tomorrow is her big day. Today she got ready. As is shown in her 7-minute video, she roused and scratched at 8:11 AM, roused and probably urinated about 12:15 PM, and roused to fluff up her bed about 5:51 PM.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-BYYVqD7aE
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/117525724
Tomorrow morning (a year ago) she gives birth to 3 cubs. We’ll have the archives for the entire day available to watch. We will give you the link tomorrow on where you can access them.
See if your observations from the archives agree with our notes from them (below). We had a problem determining exactly when the cubs were born because Juliet gave few welcoming grunts--unlike what Lily and Jewel did when their cubs were born.
Here are some notes taken last year. Tomorrow you can check yourself to see what you think on birth times, etc.
- 9:07- blowing as she breathes, restless, 6 long hard breaths per min
- 9:12:10 - licking with leg up, laying on side
- 9:14:14 raises up to hunched position, blowing
- 9:15:40 licking a bit more, blowing, busy - I think this is when she has the first cub
- 9:16 licking, busy with something
- 9:16:27 hear more licking, lapping,
- 9:17:01 first cub squeak
- 9:17:14 first strong cub vocalization
- 9:22 clean-up slows down
- 9:24:11 heavy breath, raises up on all 4s, seems to be tending to cub and taking deep breaths
- 9:24:45 more heavy breaths, may be blowing warm air on cub
- 9:25:31 relaxes with less hunched back
- 9:28:02 heavy breath, raises up again
- 9:28:42 licking, some gulping
- 9:29:11 relaxes
- 9:33:10 raises up slightly
- 9;33:35 relaxes somewhat
- 9:33:56 raises up again, breathing deep
- 9:35:00 curls up in different position
- 9:35:32 curls up in previous position, breathing heavy
- 9:36 seems to have calmed down, taking deep heavy breaths
- 9:38 7 bpm but not moving much
- 9:56 down to 5 bpm
- 10:04:13 raises up, hunched back
- 10:05:29 after tending to cub a little, lays back down to relax
- 10:11:45 raises up, repositions
- 10:12:32 raises up again, breathing heavy
- 10:12:57 relaxes
(still just hearing one cub sound) - 10:14:15 raises up
- 10:14:39 relaxes, breathing heavy
- 10:16:42 - restless, hunches up, shifting positions, breathing heavy
- 10:17:44 relaxes
- 10:22:00 raises up
- 10:22:38 relaxes
- 10:23:08 raises up, adjusts and tend to cub
- 10:23:32 relaxes
- 10:32 - 6 bpm
- 10:34:32 shifts position
- 10:39:47 adjusts, restless,
- 10:40:28 breathing heavy, tensing
- 10:40:30 lots of licking
- 10:43:37 restless still, breathing hard
- 10:44:25 raises up then back down
- 10:45:51 tucks head under her, calm
- 10:48:04 first sounds of nursing, light and not for long
- 10:49:20 all is calm, no heavy breathing, no licking
- 10:51:37 more nursing, stronger
- 10:52:00 Juliet lifts up, blowing and busy as cub nurses,
- 10:52:30 starts serious licking and lapping could be cleaning cub#1?
- 10:52:55 hear a small cub voice, sounds weak to me but could still be cub#1 not wanting to be cleaned
- 10:53:44 changes position
- 11:00 still hearing only one cub, Juliet still breathing heavy
- 11:01:08 raises up, she is busy, head bobbing, hear one cub
- 11:02:36 lifts front right leg to the side, braces it against bedding, breathing hard
- 11:03:05 tenses up
- 11:03:44 can hear licking
- 11:05:05 repositions
- 11:07:23 sits up a bit then back down quickly
(lots of little cub noises but just from one that I can tell) - 11:12:28 Juliet lifts up then settles
- 11:17:20 lifts up again, heavy breathing
- 11:19:02 repositions, gets up on all 4s
(one cub crying/whimpering) - 11:23:09 starts licking, stops, then breaths heavy, still hunched up
- 11:24 making burping noises
- 11:24:55 repositions, moving around
- 11:28:25 rearing up, uncomfortable, heavy breaths
- 11:32 relaxes
- 11:34:04 rears up again, only one cub crying, she starts licking (delivery of 2nd or 3rd cub?)
- 11:35:04 blowing then relaxes again
- 11:34:25 repositions cub whimpers a little more
- 11:40:42 - hear two voices - confirmation of 2 cubs
- 11:45:47 rears up and begins licking
- 11:46:32 licks a LOT gulping (afterbirth?)
- 11:52:45 - two cubs humming
- 11:52:10, 12:14:00, and 12:14:55 and on for a while possible confirmation of 3 voices
The archives from last winter have glitches with some down time. We still remember the extra effort the team had to give last year to get what we got, as you will see.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research institute and North American Bear Center