Jewel's front feet - Jan 20, 2012We wait and watch as Jewel rests peacefully except for periods of normal grooming, eating snow, and rearranging her bed. At times she seems uncomfortable, but then she settles back in and begins snoring. One of these days, that will change and everyone will know it. Cubs are noisy. They cry loudly when they’re cold, uncomfortable, or need help to urinate and defecate. They hum noisily when they’re contently nursing. This den provides a good view and we will all be able to observe and learn together.
Jewel stretches - Jan 20, 2012Today the technology team worked in the cold to improve the cell reception in an attempt to stop the hesitation in the image and sound. Some things they tried made matters worse and some made no noticeable difference. But, true to form, they haven’t given up—they just ran out of daylight. Back to work tomorrow.
Jewel - Jan 20, 2012They also installed a grounding rod at the den shed to help with the buzz we all hear on the cam on sunny days like today. We’ll see how effective that is on the next sunny day. If that doesn’t work, a better charge controller may be needed. They’ll work it out. When we step back and think about a little shack in the woods generating its own power and broadcasting video of a pregnant bear to a worldwide audience, it all seems pretty incredible.
Northlands News Center’s recent broadcast about Jewel’s Den Cam is online at http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/iron-range/Thousands-Tune-in-for-LIVE-Black-Bear-Birth-137521753.html .
A little notice on KSTP-TV’s web page says the traveling bear exhibit administrated by the University of Minnesota’s Natural History Museum is going to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St Paul, MN for a couple months (February 6 through April 2) http://kstp.com/article/stories/s2461044.shtml
We apologize for the error in the voting link we posted last night for the Idaho Black Bear Rescue facility. The correct link is http://sunsuperdreams.com.au/dream/view/second-chance-at-freedom-for-orphaned-bear-cubs .
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center