Rambler was back with his family yesterday after being absent a week, and RC was happy to see him. She was paying him special attention, licking him, and he was staying near her. 
SamanthaHis sister Ohio, named for having a map of Ohio as a chest blaze, scent-marked a tree as if she plans to stay in the area. Family break-up is coming up in the next few weeks. Let’s see if this very recognizable bear does make this area her home. Daughters usually do take part of their mothers’ territories. Then there was a crisis. RC detected another bear coming. The family hurried to a big white pine and was ready to climb. It turned out to be 5 bears coming—Samantha and her 4 yearlings. RC had to have a talk with her about that. I heard the equivalent of black bear naughty words as each told the other they meant business. All talk. RC went back to her yearlings and they all left. Samantha’s cubs ended up a big white pine where I visited her back in the woods. She is a handsome bear and nice as ever. The family moved to another big white pine, a favorite, where they spent the night.
OhioCalls are coming in as more and more bears make their initial appearances for the year. Victor showed up last night. He used to be the most beautiful bear, in my mind, but he took on too many rival males during mating seasons over the years and is covered with scars as shown in this photo from June 30, 2014. No mothers with new cubs yet. It’s early. We expect that to start in the last week of May.
At the Bear Center, all is well as crews fix problem after problem as fast as they can so they can let Ted, Lucky, Holly, and Tasha out to resume their rounds in the enclosure.
RC and familyI was glad to get another registration for a Black Bear Field Course today. It was a teacher. That means kids will learn about bears. A call I got earlier in the day emphasized that to me. Mike Sustin from Ohio called looking for a certain graph of GPS locations he wanted to use with his high school class. It turns out that he went back home from being in a course a few years ago and has been working ever since with his students and the State of Ohio spreading the word about black bears. Ohio has few black bears—maybe 75—so when people see one they often overreact. If they call the State, Mike gets a call in turn as the designated knowledgeable person to talk to the terrified resident. 
Victor from 2014Being in the Black Bear Field Course gave him more time with non-tranquilized wild black bears than most experts ever get. I wish everyone could come to the courses. Real bears change people’s minds. Black bears are not the animals they are too often portrayed to be. People in this community know that. That’s why bears that visit this community get to be 30 like Shadow will confirm for herself when she shows up this year. Or like RC, who is 18, and some of the males that are in their 20’s. This community coexists with black bears more peacefully than any community I’ve ever heard of. It’s because most of the residents know bears. Mike is starting on that kind of education for Ohio as Ohio bears try to make a comeback.
The August 6 course has two people in it at this point. If two more people join, it will be a go. To register for that course, email
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center