Lily licks water off EllieToday the focus was water in Lily’s den. Water, water everywhere and many drops to lick. As fast as the melting snowcap on her brush pile dripped onto the cubs, Lily licked the drops off. Lily herself was soaked and water dripped off her nose onto the cubs as she licked them—just more to lick off. The cubs even got into it, licking each other or Lily occasionally. Until a couple days ago, we hadn’t seen cubs lick each other or their mother. It may be part of these cubs being extra advanced with their early births.
Lily licks water off EliWe doubt if even a drop of water reached Lily’s skin, though. The combination of guard hairs and under fur is hard for water to penetrate. We remember trying to wash off a tranquilized bears some 32 years ago and seeing the water run off before even reaching the under fur.
It's hard to keep active cubs dryJewel wasn’t having water problems (or pleasures) in her den. Whenever there is more than minor movement in that den, it raises a dust cloud. Perhaps a little moisture would be welcomed.
Notice the icicles formingAs the sun began to go down, the water dripping into Lily’s den slowed and icicles began to form. The warm days and freezing nights will continue for a couple more days (50F forecast for Saturday), which might melt all the snow off Lily’s den and end the dripping.
Videos of Lily and the cubs are Part I http://youtu.be/DRO7fhK1sQU, Part II http://youtu.be/VnOkhwnjOY0, and Part III http://youtu.be/7DB_XZhZY9Q.
Ellie bites and tugs on Eli's cheekWe are moving ahead with a fence to separate Ted and Lucky if their rivalry becomes too heated with the upcoming mating season in May and June. We have made the fence the top construction priority to be completed before other construction begins. 
Lily counts the days...Once all 3 bears leave their dens, Judy Thon & Company will be feeding them in separate areas to reduce competition and will be scattering the food to promote natural foraging behaviors that will occupy the bears longer. The Bear Educator Program gets underway in late April, so the staff will be getting some help from them soon.
The Bear Facts and Fun Team has put together a great piece on Walking Hibernation in Black Bears at http://www.facebook.com/notes/bffbetty/walking-hibernation-in-black-bears/298537100277116.
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.