Since May 10th, Lily has stayed in an area a half mile in diameter centered around a lush patch of clover. Her mother June confronted her there on May 20th and has focused her own activity in that area ever since. Not wanting to risk complicating the situation, we have stayed away. Today, Lily led her family 1.7 miles away, leaving the clover patch to June and her 2 cubs. Photos of Hope (right) and Lily and Faith (left) were taken May 10th.
We’ll connect with Lily soon. She needs new batteries in her GPS unit and that will give us an opportunity to see how Faith is doing. Faith’s little legs have carried her farther for her age than any other cub we know. The family’s limited travel in the past 2 weeks has likely been good for Faith. We’re anxious to see her and document any changes.
In the 24 hours since Juliet and Jo separated after their encounter yesterday, Jo and her cub have moved a half mile one way and Juliet and her yearlings moved 3 miles the other.
RC is still with 2 of her male yearlings but the third yearling was seen alone. We’ll follow this to see if it is the beginning of family break-up. The first male-female pair we’ve heard of in the area was spotted Monday night.
You came up with another thousand votes with about 6 hours to go in the Chase contest to vote money to the International Wolf Center at http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/411543539-international-wolf-center?src=twitter. We’re in 17th place and in the running for $20,000 to add to the $25,000 you secured for the Wolf Center in Round 1. Way to go. Voting competition is fierce in this one.
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/.
If you haven’t left a comment for protection of radio-collared bears on T. R.’s Facebook page, it is at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Protect-Minnesotas-Research-Bears/160331730697185. T. R. will pass your comments to officials.
Minnesota residents who would like to get their legislator on board for the next legislative session almost a year away can find your local legislators at http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/.
David Hoole of Duluth Channel 6, the Northland’s News Center, was going to do a story on Lily and Hope and Faith this past Monday but he got sick. We suspect it will be part of an upcoming Nature Matters, which is part of the Channel 6 news broadcast on Monday nights.
Thank you for all you are doing.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center