Jewel outside her den - March 16, 2012
Herbie and Fern alone in den - March 16, 2012Today, activities ramped up at Jewel’s and Lily’s dens. Jewel left her den several times today to eat the snow which is receding further and further from her den. The first time she left, she nicely aligned the camera so we all got a good look at Herbie and Fern. They can’t even walk yet, but they seemed to be trying to play with each other. The next time Jewel left the den she shoved the den cam tube far out of her way and gave us the current close-up view of the den wall. I think we’re stuck with that view until we can visit the den on Sunday. We’ll switch back to the outside camera tomorrow morning.
How far will this cable stretch? - March 16, 2012Lily and Faith left the den mid-morning. Lily spent a good deal of time investigating the den cam equipment. We held our breath as she chewed on the microphone cable—but we still have sound… for now. They spent a lot of time lounging around near the den in good view of the PTZ camera—at least until Lily stood up and pawed the camera casing and smeared the clear protective casing. We need to remember to clean that on our next visit. Several times Lily and Faith wandered out of sight. They may have been searching out patches of snow to eat—there is no snow anywhere around the den. After spending most of the day out, they went back in their den for the night.
Faith stretches back - March 16, 2012A video of Lily and Faith outside their den today is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ltyfYxKId4.
Not all bears are active, though. We checked on Donna and her yearlings and didn’t see any clear sign that they’ve spent much time out. We could have missed clues, though, because there is no snow remaining around their rock den to show tracks. But often there is sign in the form of newly broken branches or fresh claw marks from climbing nearby trees. We saw none of that. We put up a trail cam to record data. Donna’s den is miles into the woods on narrow 2-tracker forest roads, and we were able to drive there—almost unheard of at this time of year. Donna didn’t have a collar on, so we have to get that back on her soon—before she and the yearlings begin to roam.
Lily nursing Faith - March 16, 2012At the Bear Center, the three bears were more like lethargic Donna than Lily, Faith, and Jewel. Honey is calm in the den by herself while Lucky is in his snow-free bed in the woods where he has spent time before. Ted was lethargic in his den.
The ‘Bear Facts and Fun’ group formed to spur discussion on Lily’s Facebook page and the Pond Chat. They have 3 goals.
- EDUCATION: To post facts about black bear behavior and direct people to favorable links
- GAMES/FUN: To make Lily's Facebook page FUN in the process of learning about black bears
- WELCOMING: Make sure new fans feel welcome to Lily's Facebook page and assist anyone who might have any questions
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center