Lily startles awake! We know bears have REM sleep, which is associated with dreams. We have watched and videoed them as their eyes rolled, lips twitched, and tongues flicked in REM sleep. At 2:46 AM CT, Lily suddenly went from an apparent sound sleep to defensive lunging, slapping, and blowing.
Male cub counts toes as Lily sleepsWas it a gust of wind that we know can sound like danger to a bear? We didn’t hear wind in the audio of the footage, though. Was she startled by her female cub who was entertaining herself nearby? Could she have awakened from a bad dream? Ten minutes later, Lily made a similar but less intense response in the same direction. See what you think http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES3k_1eN0Nc.
Male cub is an early riserAfter her big reaction, Lily immediately appeared to know everything was okay. She yawned, which seems to dissipate tension, and tucked her head down again.
Female cub just hanging outWatching the replay, we saw no reaction from Lily until she snapped to defensive alert. Showing it in slow motion, we could see her head come up with her lips extended (upset), her mouth slightly open (probably using the vomeronasal organ on the roof of her mouth), and blowing more or less toward the camera. For whatever reason, Lily created a rare full-frame video of typical defensive bluster.
Okay, which is which?Lily’s big move was startling to her female cub who got brushed aside. Slow motion showed the cub reacting by jumping up with the same extended lips, slightly open mouth, and blowing that Lily did. But the cub was blowing at Lily.
Ted's den through open gateBoth cubs are actually scampering around in the den! We were amazed at their coordination. Old Lily Fans will remember Hope still being somewhat uncoordinated when Lily led her away from that first den on March 30, 2010. 
John Leonard shovels out Honey's gateIn 2011, we wondered how Faith and Jason could keep up with Lily and Hope when they left their den area on March 31. But Lily’s big male and female this year were born 9-10 days earlier, so they are at the age the other cubs were when they left, and they look better coordinated already. Lily must be doing something right. If it weren’t for the snow, they could follow Lily to a big white pine now.
Lucky's den nearly buried with snowThe den antics have been captured in two videos; Part I at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzznpZQbsTQ and Part II at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnJSMVIn0Bw. The battle over nipples continues in Part I and the cubs romp and scamper around in Part II.
At the Bear Center (www.bear.org), the staff (Judy Thon, John Leonard, and Sharon Herrell) dug out the gates and opened them for Ted, Honey, and Lucky. Not a bear stirred despite the activity right outside their dens. Lucky’s entrance is nearly snowed in. We’ll see if they slowly get the urge to explore after this disturbance.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.