Jewel looks up and grunts for her cubs to come down - May 17, 2012Jewel, Herbie, and Fern are still fairly near their den. Today, they visited the first white pine they used after leaving their den. Jewel foraged on sedge (Carex spp.) leaves, wild calla (Calla palustris) leaves and stems, and horsetail (Equisetum spp) leaves and stems. She tore open a few logs but did not seem to find much. Herbie and Fern appeared to be actually eating—rather than just mouthing—the young horsetails.
Fern comes down to look for Jewel - May 17, 2012Fern is the more adventuresome cub, taking off independently to check on foods or just to explore out to maybe 25 feet from Jewel. Herbie stays closer to Jewel, who has to go check on Fern at times. Cubs explore, taste, and smell the various foods and seem to decide for themselves what to eat rather than being taught by mom. This is contrary to most statements we have seen about mothers teaching cubs what to eat.
Scientific names for the foods mentioned last night are peavine (Lathyrus spp.) and vetch (Vicia americanus) for Braveheart and wild calla (Calla palustris) for Lily.
Jewel naps while nursing her cubs - May 17, 2012Jo and Victoria are a worry as they check bird feeders in their territory. It’s a hungry time of year. Favorite emerging plants are maturing and getting past their palatable stage, while ant pupae and larvae (ant brood) have not yet become abundant enough to be important in the diet. In Eagles Nest Township, bears are mostly feeding on wild foods but making occasional visits to the feeding stations. They seldom go house to house, and problems are fewer than about anywhere we know where there are bears and houses, according to DNR data. The feeding stations have been maintained for over 50 years now with a solid record of minimal problems. A cluster of houses—with 17-20 bird feeders each—does get occasional visits, of course, as an exception.
Herbie stays in tree - May 17, 2012By contrast, the towns of Tower and Soudan do not have the same history of feeding, which means bears go house to house when natural food is scarce. Jo and Victoria have a double problem. Much of the area around these towns is Juliet’s territory. Juliet and Jo are not mother and daughter, yet they are both using the same territory—even the same bed trees—at separate times. Nine-year-old Juliet is the long-time territory owner and is bigger than 3-year-old Jo. The woods is a dangerous place for Jo and Victoria, making us wonder what Victoria will do after family break-up. The lack of natural food and the need to avoid Juliet might be a reason Jo and Victoria are visiting many yards, presumably for the bird feeders.
A couple residents on the edge of town were putting out food for wildlife this spring and enjoyed seeing up to 5 bears, including Jo and Victoria. Then the neighbor between the two houses threatened to shoot and/or poison the bears. She was too terrified to mow the lawn, barbecue, walk the dog, or go outside. The residents quit feeding. With little food in the woods and Juliet to contend with, Jo and Victoria became nocturnal to avoid people and began visiting other houses. There have been few complaints. When ant brood becomes available, their visits will likely stop or become minimal. But for now, they are a worry.
Forest fire threatens Ely - May 17, 2012A forest fire southeast of Ely, MN—fanned by a strong wind—crept into Ely. Homes are being evacuated. All surrounding fire departments are working to control the fire. More tomorrow and in the BBC’s Planet Earth Live broadcast on Sunday.
Herring Gull - May 17, 2012Here at the Research Center, a friendly herring gull (Larus argentatus) eats sunflower seeds and sits patiently as we put them less than 6 feet from it.
Thank you for your comments on the social networks for BBC’s “Planet Earth Live” and National Geographic Wild’s “24/7 Wild.”
We deeply appreciate that the family of Lily Fan Sharon Julia Tyler Kaczorowski (1944-2012) requested memorials be directed to the Hope Education Building Fund at the North American Bear Center at PO Box 161, Ely, MN 55731. We can only say thank you and rest in peace and that we will work to make the Hope Education Building the best it can be for worldwide education about bears.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center