Bow's cub5:52 AM. I drive in to WRI and see a black blob on the scale. She hurries off and looks up a tree. Could it be 9-year-old Bow and could she have brought her cubs this time? It is, and she did—3 again this year.
Bow's cubWhat a different demeanor from the relaxed bear of yesterday morning. She was looking all directions—up at the cubs, all around, and at me. She blustered at me even though I was up on the second floor deck. Nervous and wary. A little after 7 AM, the cubs came down and they left.
7:26 AM The phone rang. It was a feeder where the bears feel particularly safe. “Lily and her cubs have been here since about 6 AM.” I hurry over but by the time I get there Lily is sleeping high in a red pine with the cubs resting barely visible even higher up.
Bow and cub8:20 PM 16-year-old RC comes but I don’t recognize her and try to get her to stand up so I can see if it is a male or female and any markings on the chest. Then I spot the right check on her chest for which she was named.
Lily sleeping high in a red pine4-year-old Aspen appears shortly. I lure him onto the scale (249 pounds) using hazelnuts from Lily Fans but he quickly gets off and tries to play with RC who hurries away from him. She’s probably already bred and preferred to eat.
Aspen goes over to 3-year-old sweatheart (in my eyes) Sophie and tries to play with her. She rebuffs him with bluster. Aspen sits down by her and lets her go back to eating. Shortly, though, he goes to sniffing her neck and shoulders, which she ignores and keeps eating.
And things are just starting for the evening.
The Black Bear Field Courses are going to be exciting, and there are a total 5 openings left in the four courses starting on July 19 (2 openings), July 26, August 16, and August 23 (1 each) at http://www.bearstudy.org/website/bear-course-registration.html?view=category&layout=table
On another note, it looks like we will be squeezing in a documentary that will be good for bears on days without courses this summer. The theme is coexistence.
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| Bow and her cub | Bow looking pretty | Looking after her cub |
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
Bow, Lily, and Cubs Galore - Big Day. - UPDATE June 8, 2015