Misty Morning on Dead Man's LakeAt the Bear Center, Holly might not re-use her wild den of last year that she has been working to enlarge. Instead, she is concentrating on a new den next to the Cabin in the new pen we built for the yearling we didn’t get. She found a vein of sand there. Her den from last year is in difficult rocky soil. One picture shows the new burrow den and the other shows some of the sand she threw back against the Cabin yesterday. She seems determined. If she goes much farther, the den cavity could be outside that pen but still in the big enclosure. She is still digging today.
Here is a video of Holly digging: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgK5f3-UHJQ
 |
 |
 |
| Holly's burrow den progress | ||
Ted is getting a bigger pen—exactly double the present size, which we nearly doubled a couple years ago.
Ted's Chalet expansion The picture shows the area between his present pen and the next pen that will all become his.
Plans for a new cub are on hold. We learned that the cub we wanted was euthanized a couple days ago because of its injuries.
In the community, one of the feeders captured a picture of a very lethargic male on the visit when he decided to call it a year. He lay down on his side to lick up peanuts without lifting his head. Then he fell asleep while eating. Then he left. No one has seen him since. Mature males often den up in September. We assume he went to a den. Another bear safe.
 |
 |
| Lethargic bear, ready for hibernating! September 15, 2015 | |
Lily and her cubs are still active as of two nights ago.
Beautiful misty mornings are common this time of year. The picture is of Dead Man’s Lake on the way to work this morning.
Thank you again for your contributions for bear food.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.