Bear 401Morning stretch. At 8:27 AM Lucky initiates stretching in this 9-minute video. Holly notices. It is catching. She stretches. They both stretch over and over. I bet most people (not Lily Fans, though) don’t realize that stretching is part of the denning repertoire. This could account for some of the puzzling blips researchers see on implanted data recorders that watch heart rate, breathing, etc. By 8:41, both bears are back down without any physical contact. Stretching in this case didn’t include the need for snuggling, wrestling, etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYl9v1_x0n4
In this 5-minute video, Honey demonstrates dainty snacking habits. She comes partway out, takes a mouthful of snow, settles back, puts it on her right front paw, and eats it in nice little bites. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_B5IR3NQyA
I can’t remember if I sent this picture before but it is meaningful to me. It’s 401, the first bear I ever walked with back in the mid 1980’s. Like most, she never got in trouble.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center