Fern looking at gull - 06/15/15On the way to work in the cold, I again was thinking about 7-year-old Jewel getting ready to have her third litter if she hasn’t already. I think of how at first Jewel was defensive and tense but has now become mellow and calm. I used to be careful around her but now feel relaxed myself.
Daisy - 06/19/15Another bear I look forward to seeing this summer is Jewel’s 4-year-old daughter Fern who we thought might have cubs in 2015 and most certainly will have them this year. Another 4-year-old like that is Sophie. Lily Fans remember Sophie and her mother Juliet from the BBC series Planet Earth Live that featured them in 2012. Somehow, Fern and Sophie grew up to be unusually gentle and trusting at the feeding stations they visit. I never hear of them being seen elsewhere. Nuisance complaints the last couple years have been zero, so none of the bears around here are too bad. Black Bear Field Course participants are in for a treat with these three bears and their cubs.
A bit of a mystery is why 5-year-old Daisy didn’t have cubs the last two years when she was 3 and 4. She should certainly have cubs this year. Another nice bear.
Sophie - 07/07/1417-year-old RC should have her 8th litter. RC has produced more cubs (19) than any bear in the study except 29-year-old Shadow (at least 26 cubs) and 16-year-old Donna (also 19 cubs). RC and Donna are tied for second place. Donna has been having 4 cubs per litter lately, as if she is in a race to be in second place all by herself, but she and RC live at opposite ends of the study area and probably never see each other and don’t know there is a race.
Other bears that should have cubs are 13-year-old Colleen (daughter of Donna) and 7-year-old Samantha (daughter of Braveheart).
9-year-old Lily is probably snuggled extra close to her 3 yearlings in this weather.
At the Bear Center, Honey got a live camera today. It’s a bright clear picture but it might be best seen at night because shadows make it too dark to see in her Chalet den. By night, the infra-red light brightens it nicely inside. Honey had a couple visitors in this 1-minute video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpLWrdkKceA.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center