RC's cub - Aug 8, 2012A couple days ago we saw RC, Shadow’s 13-year-old daughter. RC is a big mother who looks to have lots of milk. Her cubs are the biggest of any we’ve seen this year. She’s an attentive, cautious mother who follows in the ways of her mother Shadow. Like Shadow, RC is difficult to radio-collar. Shadow and RC have had more time to become accustomed to people than any other bears in the study. Yet, their cautious and wary natures make us cautious about radio-collaring them. As a result, neither has worn a radio-collar for many years now. Both of these successful bears have taught us a lot about body language and the range of black bears personalities.
RC calls her 3 cubs down - Aug 8, 2012RC is pictured looking up a big white pine (Pinus strobus) grunting to her cubs to come down and follow her. The picture shows her ample mammary glands that we use as one of her identification marks (although similar to her mother Shadow). The other picture shows the last of her 3 female cubs to descend. The cub paused to look at the camera before bounding off after her already departing family.
A video of Jewel and cubs from August 3 is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlW4Oa7E4Yw .
Thank you again for your many thoughtful ideas for the Bear Center and the new Hope Education Building. The meeting about the new building today went well. We’re looking for as many ideas as you can send. Some of them show we are already on the right track. Some have given us new directions to pursue. Lily Fans are leaving their marks on this new venture.
Thank you for all you are doing and sending.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center