Big HarryA call last night at dusk said Lily was alone at a community feeding station. I hurried over to make sure it was her. The landowner was waiting, saying that right after the call a cub screamed (later measured at 55 yards away) and Lily tore off to help. The landowner pointed the direction. I drove on and snapped a picture out the window of her at the bottom of a refuge tree looking up at the cubs. The cubs quickly descended on the back side of the tree and the family hurried off into the dark forest.
Lily looking up at cubs - 6/27/15A few minutes later, they all returned to the feeding station and the landowner took a flash shot that showed the dark, medium light, and light faces of the three cubs. We’d love to name them but we don’t know the sexes of any of them yet.
Lily and cubs - 6/27/15When I came to work I had an email that Big Harry was seen at a community feeding station last night. Then I saw him outside but didn’t recognize him from the front because he was so skinny—less than half his weight of last fall. His face looked like Big Harry’s but not the rest of him. I snapped a picture. Then he walked away showing his unmistakable 4-inch patch of missing fur.
Sleek deerFern came midday and I saw that she had a 2-inch rip with a (tooth) puncture in the middle of it on the back of her right rear thigh. It looks like a bear chased her up a tree and bit her. I’m glad she didn’t get thrown out of the tree and killed like another female was back in June 1987. That was a territorial dispute like it may have been for Fern.
Herring Gull in evening lightAnother community feeder reported Braveheart, Donna, and their (7) cubs plus 3 yearlings and Burt paying visits.
Out the window here, the day ended with a deer showing its smooth summer coat and a gull posing in front of the setting sun.
A good and productive (Ecology Hall) day.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.