Ted’s foot pads are getting ready for renewal. Sharon Herrell, the Bear Curator, sent a picture of 
Ted's PawTed’s old, cracked calloused food pad as an example of why black bears shed them each winter, uncovering a fresh new set of softer, more pliable ones already growing underneath. We generally blame arthritis for Ted’s difficulty walking, but some of the problem may be that his foot pads are nearing the time for renewal.
Bear News- September 18, 2017
All went well this week while I was on vacation. I was very excited to see the new enrichment cedar tree added to the enclosure. The new tree has a larger girth and many more branches for the bears to play on and with. It will be exciting when the new pulley system and feeder is installed and to see which bear tests their abilities first. My bet is on Lucky, he really likes the challenge.
Holly has been sticking very close to the small bunker. I'm sure she plans to den there but one never knows what that bear is thinking. I'm still hoping Tasha dens there also but Lucky says, NO, at least for right now.
The countdown to denning has begun. The current weights are indicating a lack of food interest at least for Holly. She has been raking straw into the bunker and very lethargic.
Our fall intern, Kohrie, spent some time with Tasha today. Tasha showed off to get treats and Kohrie snapped her picture. If you look close you can see how muddy her belly is. She has been in the dug den (the den use used last year). She spends a great deal of time near that den.
Ted is doing a great job showing us he is ready to greet people again. He still likes his naps and his “down” time but he has earned every minute of his napping time. It’s just a bear thing.
Thank you all for caring for our ambassador bears.
Sharon Herrell
Bear Curator
Gordon Buchanan and Lily - 2010In England, the BBC’s Gordon Buchanan, a familiar name to Lily Fans, is embarking on a series of lectures about animals he has known. Gordon says the “My Bear Family and Me” series remains the most popular. He went on to host an “Animal Family and Me” series of documentaries about other animals. The series of lectures across England runs from September 26 through October 15. Three of the 20 lectures have already sold out. The ad says that Animal Families and Me promises a unique opportunity to hear personal recollections of his globetrotting travels, as Gordon Buchanan delves into his world of weird, wild and wonderful wildlife all illustrated with his own film footage and photography. With a reputation for relishing dangerous and tough assignments, his tales of challenging expeditions make for a thrilling evening not to be missed. For lecture locations, follow this link
http://www.josarsby.com/news/2017/3/21/animal-families-and-me-with-gordon-buchanan-
NABC Den Date and Weight contestA Lily Fan forwarded this link to an article about the Black Bear Field Courses http://www.salon.com/2017/09/17/meet-the-jane-goodall-of-bears_partner/ . I was less than thrilled about it when I first read it some weeks ago because it lists DNR allegations without refuting them. But other than that, and a couple minor errors, it’s not that bad.
In keeping with our hibernation activity tradition, there will be another Den Weight and Den Date Contest. If you'd like to enter you can do so here: https://apps.facebook.com/forumforpages/139730642706794/4a994a06-1d83-4571-9107-4b9f2e653dbd/0. Guesses will be accepted until October 8, 2017, one guess per person per bear in each contest. Good Luck!
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center