At 8:03 PM, a small bear appeared along the edge of the yard overlooking Woods Lake. I went out to see who it was. The bear was timid and warily looking in all directions,
Young visitor to the WRI sniffing the ground a lot as if for other bears. It’s always safety first. The bear seemed more wary of possible bears than of me. Finally, it turned its attention to the choice food I was tossing to lure the bear close—the last of our hazelnuts. I put a few on the scale and walked away to the window to read the weight on the screen inside—130 pounds, most likely a 2-year-old. It had a light face with scattered brown hairs the color of its muzzle extending up onto its forehead. It also had brown hairs on its chin extending down onto its throat—rare. When it stood up, I couldn’t see any penis hairs, but as it turned away I couldn’t see any vulval hairs, either. I’m guessing 2-year-old female, but I’ll wait for better light to say for sure. With the unusual brown on her forehead and throat, she should be easy to identify from our records. She’s undoubtedly part of the clan the way she knew her way around. Another bear is here!
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center