Ruff and tumble Today was the day. After 229.5 days at the den (September 13 at 9:51 PM until May 1, 2014 at 9:42 AM), Juliet led the cubs away. A Den-watcher heard a final grunt at 10 AM. Then they were gone. We waited 6 hours to see if they would return. Then we drove to the area to determine which way they went. About 2 tenths of a mile from the den, Juliet’s signal was active (possibly raking a bed?). The lowland habitat included some cedar, which are sometimes used as refuge trees where white pines are scarce. We decided to wait another day before attempting to give Juliet a GPS unit. Meanwhile, we’ll see if they return to the den tonight from that far away.
One thing driving Juliet to dense lowland habitat might have been thirst. Such habitats still have patches of snow. The snow is gone in the mostly open area where her den is. When she left the den periodically the last few days, we wondered if she was finding snow to eat.
Tonight, we heard the howls and yips of either coyotes or wolves on Juliet's den cam. What do you think?
We checked Jewel’s telemetry signal this evening and found she is active and still at or near her den.
At the Bear Center, the staff began broadcasting Ted’s pen at http://www.bear.org/website/live-cameras/live-cameras/teds-chalet-cam-live.html.
Cub backs up to defecateWhile Ted was out of the pen today, he visited Holly for the first time. Staff captured it on video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSJRQN5lt0w&feature=youtu.be. Holly was curious but shy. She came over to the fence when Ted stayed back 6 feet, but when Ted made an advance, she ran very much like Lucky did at first back in 2007. For Lucky, it was about 2 months before he accepted Ted’s advances and touched tongues. Within days after that, they played. At first, Lucky played tentatively, jumping back and avoiding vulnerable positions. Shortly, he showed total trust, letting Ted put him in vulnerable positions on his back partly under Ted. We’ll see how Holly responds.
Holly's fun reaction to Lucky was caught on her web cam at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXw8i3mLQno.
Juliet contemplatesWe remember wondering how Lily and Faith could climb the walls of their deep rock den and get out. They did just fine. The video someone captured of a cub climbing a rock wall shows us we needn't have worried http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/bear-cub-does-his-best-rock-climber_n_5235222.html?ir=Science.
We noticed this opinion piece opposing the reinstated spring bear hunt in Ontario http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/04/30/spring_bear_hunt_wont_get_promised_results.html. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources once estimated that about 274 cubs were orphaned as a result of spring bear hunting in the province. 
The last cub leaves the denWe have wondered how wildlife managers can justify orphaning cubs in spring when it is illegal to hunt any other game animal then. Cubs orphaned in spring have no chance of survival on their own. We think the heartless basis for condemning cubs to slow starvation deaths in spring goes back to the not-too-distant past when bears were regarded as vermin to be killed in any number, in any way, at any time. They deserve more than that. Starvation deaths of cubs do not represent fair chase or quick kills—the ethics most hunters strive for.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune has posted an article about our current legal battle at http://www.startribune.com/local/257602301.html.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center