Lily licking Faith - Dec 29, 2011We hadn’t a clue. We installed a den cam in Lily’s den thinking we would likely just see 2 sleeping bears. Ho-hum. But we’ve already learned more than we ever imagined.
Last year, we watched as Hope suckled on Lily in the weeks before the cubs were born. We speculated the suckling might be related to changes in Lily’s body as she prepared to give birth and that Hope might actually be ‘getting’ something. In other words, we thought it might be due to the unusual situation of a yearling denning with a pregnant mother. Now we are questioning that thought.
Lily licking snow - Dec 29, 2011We now suspect Hope’s suckling behavior last winter, prior to the birth of cubs, was normal. This year we hear Faith suckling several times a day. But we question whether Faith is actually getting milk. The suckling may simply be for comfort, bonding, or some reason we haven’t thought of. We haven’t see evidence of milk production in the den of any mother with yearlings.
In May of 2006, we closely observed June’s 2 yearlings suckling and realized they were actually getting some milk. Not a lot—June’s mammary glands weren’t even swollen—but what little they were getting was thick and creamy. Two years later, we spent a lot of time with June and her 3 yearlings after they left the den. We found that June didn’t start producing milk until the family had been out of the den for about 10 days. And, again, it was a very limited amount. We observed her yearlings nursing right up to family breakup.
Ted in den - Dec 29, 2011We watched today as Lily licked snow that has accumulated in the den. We hadn’t noticed the snow in the very bottom of the den cam image until we saw her licking. As she stretched to reach the snow we noticed there was also snow on her well-insulated back. The area they are bedded in is directly below one of the small openings into the den.
Donna Andrews snapped this picture today of Ted in his den enjoying peace and solitude. So unlike the tension that surfaces from time to time Honey and Lucky’s den! Nice to see Ted.
Thank you for all you do!
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center