HollyHolly has been out since about 8:30 AM this morning. She had a brush with Honey and climbed a deadfall. Honey moved on. Lucky was let out of his pen about 2 PM. His first activity was to check Holly’s adjacent pen. Finding the door open, he went in and ate her food. He was only out for an hour when a big rain hit. Lucky doesn’t like rain and retreated back to his den without ever encountering Holly.
When the rain slowed, staff closed Lucky’s door and let Ted out. Ted stood tall against the cedar tree to reach some food left there to entice Holly to climb. She hadn’t made it that far, so it was ‘open season’ on the food. Ted stretched up and at one point touched his up-stretched nose to the trunk. We noted the spot. As soon as he left, we measured it at 80 and a half inches. That would be from the soles of his feet to the tip of his up-stretched nose. Ted was ready to lie down in his chalet an hour later. He didn’t see Holly either.
Holly on deadfallStaff twice tried to walk Holly back to her pen, but Holly had other ideas. Before she even got close, she turned and scampered off into the forest. Both times she ran back and climbed the deadfall. Will this deadfall become her refuge spot like the big white pine was to Lucky when he was a cub and yearling? This evening, Holly is walking around behind the pond and might be in view of the Pondcam at times.
The third in the series of videos of Holly's release into the large enclosure on May 30 is posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnucR8GuO08.
Yearling maleBraveheart’s male yearling was back at 7:55 PM. This time we noticed ticks in his ears, too—dozens of them. We can’t remember a bear with so many ticks. Earlier today, we saw a 199-pound subadult male with very few ticks visible.
Subadult maleWe wondered if the Pileated Woodpeckers were still using the nest cavity and if the Hooded Mergansers had been laying eggs. A light knock on the Woodpecker’s dead snag immediately brought the male’s head out of the hole for a look down. Yup. He’s in there incubating eggs. We’ll be on the lookout for increased activity when the eggs hatch and the parents begin to bring food.
Merganser eggsThe Merganser nest box is full of eggs—10 of them. The birds have been busy at both nests. We’ve just been missing the action.
Lily Fan and old friend Scott Edgett brought the Trusty Van back today fixed and ready for action. He did the work himself as a volunteer, charging us only for parts ($412), a savings of about $2500 according to the estimate we’d gotten. It runs fine and is ready for the Black Bear Field Courses that start at the end of this month. Looking forward to it.
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.