Jewel in her den December 27, 2011For this, we’re thinking about the wild bears. Without radio-collars, we’ll not know for most of them. We may know for some of those that re-use old dens we hope to check over the next 6 weeks. Old dens include rock dens that will last forever and dug dens that often collapse in spring when meltwater weakens the roof. Other dens include road culverts, root mounds of fallen trees, exposed surface nests, and hollow trees. Strange dens include the pit of an old outhouse (no smell remaining), spaces under houses, and (in Wisconsin) an eagle nest.
It’s likely by now that some of the pregnant females are in dens.
Thank you for your response so far to the Wildlife Calling Fundraiser our friends in England are hosting at http://www.wildlifecalling.org.uk/index.php for the Northwoods Ecology Hall and Hope Learning Center. As we progress on those efforts, we will have a number of taxidermy items, touch-screens, TV screens, etc., available for individual sponsorship.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center