The smudged camera lens meant Lynn and Jason had to snowmobile to the den again today. Jason was cool on the controls even while taking the snowmobile airborne over mounds of snow, and even deftly replaced the clutch belt that threatened to derail their trip.
At the den, Lily was keyed up. She was blustery at first even though Lynn let her know it was him. She took her time coming out because a cub was nursing. Outside, she kept her eye on Lynn and Jason and moved back to the den entrance with every human move. Lynn finally felt he could wipe the lens, but Hope blew, bringing Lily back to see what was wrong. The bears never gave another opportunity to wipe it better. Then Hope made it worse by licking it once again.
Lily got into enlarging the entrance, and Jason was right in the line of fire of flying snow and bedding. When the material hit Jason’s coveralls, it made a sound and Lily would look. Hope came out a few times, but once when Lily started back in, Hope found herself outside alone and quickly dove for the den. A cub came to the entrance, but too many sticks were in the way for pictures. Lynn and Jason realized they had to wait for another day to clean the lens and left. The bad picture will likely make it impossible for Den-watchers to record the quality of data they have been getting.
Two things happened yesterday worth telling. When Lynn stroked Lily and smelled his hand, there was no odor. She’s been in the den for about 5 months and smells clean. Bears, especially males, have a musky odor during mating season, especially on the crown and the back of the neck. Those are areas they rub on trees as part of scent communication. Lynn was not surprised at the lack of scent on Lily at this time of year. Actually, bears never smell bad to us unless they have been rolling in something bad.
The other thing did surprise Lynn. He was wearing a t-shirt Rebecca Hamilton had sent him with a life-sized picture of Hope on it. Lily looked like she wanted to sniff Lynn, so he bent his head down so she could sniff the top of his head. She wasn’t interested. She had one point of interest. She had to sniff the picture of Hope. Then she was satisfied.
Dennis Anderson, outdoor writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, wrote an excellent op ed piece in support of protection for Lily, Hope, and the other radio-collared bears in the study. Thank you, Dennis! His words were timely as hunter blogs continue to offer bounties for Lily. His ‘Wrong decision on study bears’ can be found at http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/117777323.html.
Dennis included two statements that require explanations. The reason Lynn spoke disrespectfully to a hunter who had shot a bear close to the Research Center in 2006 was that the hunter mocked Sue for crying when she saw which bear it was. Lynn was incensed at the hunter’s lack of respect for Sue. Lynn could not find adequate words and later said he was embarrassed at his lack of vocabulary. Gentile women have since offered to increase his vocabulary, “Did you call him a #$%&?”
It’s true that Lynn euthanized two abandoned, starving cubs back in 1989. He considered euthanasia more humane than letting them starve or be eaten. No zoo wanted them. It was in mid-April when cubs have no chance of survival in the wild. He thought the doomed cubs could do more for bears as part of a traveling museum exhibit from the Science Museum than dying a slow death in the woods. It’s possible he could have done different now that we know how successful supplemental feeding in the wild can be, but he did what seemed best at the time.
Your letters continue to arrive. You are writing and emailing in unbelievable numbers. Thank you. Team Protect continues to work behind the scenes. What a force you all are!
Videos from today will be posted to the YouTube 'bearstudy' account later tonight.
Thank you for all you are doing.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center