Today was a match of yesterday as far as bear movements went. Most of Lily’s movement today was in the morning. This afternoon, they settled into an area only 145 yards in diameter, giving Faith a little break in trying to keep up. Lily’s scat today was full of green mush, which means she is scarfing down the very digestible early greens now sprouting. It also contained bone fragments but no smell of meat, so she likely found the skeleton of a winter-killed animal that ravens and other scavengers had long since picked clean.
The impressive thing with Faith is how her light little body gallops along and seems to be doing okay. Meanwhile, she is gaining life experiences. While June and Jo’s cubs are learning only a small area, Faith knows a large portion of Lily’s territory. And we know from last year that little cubs remember where they’ve been. As a tiny cub, Hope traveled two miles on her own to get back to a familiar area after Lily abandoned her in unfamiliar territory. Faith is the smallest cub we have studied in such detail. She is showing us what a wiry little cub can do.
Team Bear announced that the lucky winner of the Mother's Day Special Event Drawing is Holly E. Best. Thank you all for so generously participating to bring down the debt! You raised $2,290 to lower the debt to $62,965. Fifteen months ago, no one would have believed this.
No one would have believed the other things that have happened and are happening thanks to Lily fans. It would be amazing if your power led to the black bear becoming the state mammal. And that movement began with a group of first graders. The link to show support for that is at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/BlackBear-MNState-Mammal/ . Anyone, anywhere, of all ages can sign it if you have a web address.
In the Readers Digest contest to win money for Ely, you still have Ely strongly in 6th place. The link to vote 10 times in a row each day through May 16 is http://wehearyouamerica.readersdigest.com/town.jsp?town=ELY&state=MN
Thank you for all you are doing.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center