Bears are having territorial standoffs in this pre-mating period. It is typically a time of exploring beyond territory boundaries and carving out living areas. For bears with established territories like June (10) and Juliet (8), it is a time of defending their territories, exploring potential additions, and accommodating daughters that are trying to establish their first territories. Lily (4) and Jo (3) are still in the process of establishing territories.
Lily and June spent the day about a quarter to 0.4 mile apart. Then, about 8 PM, they both headed toward each other. June moved 0.2 mile west while Lily moved nearly a tenth of a mile east. GPS locations showed them 68 yards apart. We don’t know if they went closer between locations, but 40 minutes later they were 290 yards apart and moving farther apart. This was an interaction between a mother and daughter, and we know from other bears that mothers often show deference to their daughters and grant them space. We remember one mother that went after her daughter and chased her to the top of a big red pine. She sniffed her daughter in the treetop, and calmly climbed down. Interactions can vary, which is why we are interested in how Lily and June are dealing with territoriality. We are anxious to see if either bear has any injuries and who eventually claims ownership to the clover patch in the center of their contested area. Pictures of Faith (left) and Lily (right) taken on May 10.
Additional video footage of Hope playing in the hollow log has been posted to http://ww
The GPS locations for Juliet and Jo, not mother and daughter, showed an interaction that might not have been so benign. Juliet was 1.55 mile east of the small area Jo had been using for 24 hours. Juliet was moving west with her yearlings. Wind was light from the north, so we doubt if Jo could smell them. Juliet zig-zagged west for nearly three and three quarters hours and came upon Jo about 2:56 PM. Next, both bears moved east southeast 0.72 miles in 9-13 minutes, which is 3-4 times faster than bears usually travel. We believe Juliet (8) was chasing Jo (3) because Jo continued another 0.22 mile farther than Juliet’s GPS locations showed. We believe that Jo’s cub and Juliet’s yearlings all treed during the fracas that started the chase. Both bears had to go back for their offspring. Jo was back by 4:13 PM after traveling at least 1.88 miles in 77 minutes, and Juliet was back by 4:19 after traveling at least 1.42 miles in 81 minutes. Then Jo headed north and Juliet headed over a mile south. We would like to check both bears for injuries, and we are interested to see which one uses the contested area in the future. It is not an area Juliet has used much. Jo used it earlier this year and possibly before.
A problem is that both bears are far out in the boonies and inaccessible.
Hazel and Curly have included that area as part of their territories in the past but both were killed some years ago.
Lynn got a nice email today that Human-Wildlife Interactions Journal has accepted his peer-reviewed paper on diversionary feeding for publication. The journal is very selective of what it publishes. The editor invited a second paper from him.
Urgent Need!
The urgent need in the next 24 hours is for votes for the International Wolf Center in the Chase contest at http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/411543539-international-wolf-center?src=twitter. They’re in 13th place and in the running for $40,000 with an amazing 6081 votes at this moment, over two thousand more than we mustered in Round 1. It is unbelievable that you came up with about a thousand votes in the last 24 hours. Voting competition has been fierce. We very much want to stay ahead of 16th place and have a margin of over a thousand votes at this point with 26 hours to go in the contest. Your efforts made it possible for the International Wolf Center to win $25,000 in the first round, and we believe you will get them another $40,000 (places 11 to 15 get this) in this round. We’re going all out to help them this year when we are ineligible to enter this contest, and they will help us in contests where they are ineligible. By working together, the winners are bears, wolves, and both organizations.
The pressure is off a bit on letter writing, etc., with the legislative session winding down, but it is still a good idea for Minnesota residents to let their legislators know we need their support for protection during the next legislative session. This is too important, and we have to try again next year. Meanwhile, we have to keep the issue alive and gather support. To find your local legislators, here is a legislator finder http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/.
T. R. is continuing to gather comments from everyone everywhere on his Facebook page to eventually give to the Commissioner, the Governor, and legislators to get protection. His page is at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Protect-Minnesotas-Research-Bears/160331730697185. Comments from hunters could be especially helpful.
If you haven’t already signed the petition to make the black bear Minnesota’s state mammal, the petition is at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/BlackBear-MNState-Mammal/.
Thank you for all you are doing.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center