This afternoon we found Lily and Faith in a very different den from last year. It was the same deep rock den Lily had checked out on Sept 10, the same den June checked out later that same day, and the same one June had checked out last fall. Each time the bears moved on—including Lily and Faith today. They left the den about 6:45 PM. We would have been surprised if non-pregnant bears settled in so early. Did the bears each crawl into the den to see how well they would all fit into it?
After visiting the rock den on Sept 10, June and her cubs returned in the wee hours of Sept 18 and then again the night of Sept 22. We found them there on Sept 23 (photos in the update for that day). It still seemed a bit early for a non-pregnant female to be settling in, and we wondered about their commitment to the den when we didn’t see any raking. The photo in the Sept 23 update shows a den without bedding. A couple days later, we checked June’s signal from a quarter mile away, and it was still toward the den. We began to think we were learning something new about how early a non-pregnant female can settle in. False alarm. They eventually moved on but we don’t know just when. The turmoil of Hope’s death kept us from checking.
Today, June and cubs were over 2 miles away with June mostly resting (heart 60/minute and irregular) and the cubs off foraging on their own. June didn’t seem terribly concerned that the cubs were away. She wandered off softly grunting and tongue-clicking to hunt them down. When she caught up, there was no nursing. Both cubs bawled softly to nurse but she laid on her belly to prevent it. Her breasts are flaccid so the weaning process is nearly complete. Their location today is within 300 yards of another den from June’s past. The pictures tell the story of June being lethargic while her cubs are ready to be on the go. We don’t know why mothers slow down earlier than the cubs.
Meanwhile, today at 10:39 AM, Lily and Faith arrived at the rock den. Lily’s GPS signal ceased, and we assumed they were in the den. We confirmed that with a quick check at 4 PM (photo). No raking had begun. Between 10:39 AM and 7:04 PM, only one GPS signal escaped the den—or they may have briefly emerged and re-entered. Then they left and moved quickly away. The GPS location at 7:04 PM was nearly 800 yards away headed straight toward a den Lily and Hope dug last fall and decided not to use. Twenty minutes and 313 yards later, Lily’s signal was beside a lake, probably drinking, and less than a hundred yards from the den. Then they moved on. Three GPSed bears are on the move tonight. We’re anxious to see where they land.
Last fall, pregnant Lily and Hope reached their final den on October 22. We would have expected a pregnant mother to settle into a den a month earlier than that, but she was with Hope, and we always get the feeling that mothers would like to settle into a den far earlier than their cubs let them. We believe the cubs’ desire to forage keeps mothers up later into the fall, and in a way, it makes sense. If a family is eating hornets, the few hornets in a nest is a bigger meal for a cub than a mother.
Will Faith keep Lily up for another 2-3 weeks this year like Hope seemed to last year? Will June continue to be lethargic while her energetic cubs continue to run off foraging? We are thankful for GPS units that will show us their movements and allow us to compare their movements this year with last year. Last year, June entered her final den on Sept 16.
Video footage of Lily and Faith bonding on September 30 is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3Pq8-UbW90.
The DNR issued a press release about Soudan Underground Mine State Park. Like last year, there was no mention of help from Lily fans after you voted your hearts out. It has to be obvious that you made this happen. Bear Head Lake State Park that you got over 1.6 million votes for last year got little more than 14,000 votes this year—mostly from Lily fans. Soudan Underground Mine State Park that wasn’t even on the radar last year got about 3 million votes this year with Lily fans switching their efforts in that direction. We did get a note of appreciation from the commissioner along the way this year after Steve Piragis of Piragis Northwoods Company mentioned to him that he should send a thank you recognizing your efforts, but the final announcement made no mention. http://news.dnr.state.mn.us/2011/09/28/soudan-underground-mine-state-park-in-northern-minnesota-to-receive-50000-as-runner-up-in-%E2%80%98america-is-your-park%E2%80%99-contest/ Discouraging.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center