Shadow July 21, 2021
Inquiring minds want to know. What is the latest on Shadow and Lily?
Red foxThe last sighting of Shadow was the evening of August 12. I feel confident that she headed off to a den and was snug and safe through bear hunting season. She did the same thing a decade or so ago. The picture of her was July 28, just 15 days before she left. The picture shows her white face—the whitest I’ve seen on any bear ever. And she’s earned it. At 34, she is the second oldest black bear on record.
Lynn and Linda Z. with Lilypad checkWhile Shadow left extra early, Lily left late for an expecting mother—October 13 at 9:53 PM. We’ll see if that means she is not pregnant and will not produce cubs two years in a row, or maybe it will just show that even pregnant mothers will sometimes den that late.
A red fox looked in the window while making its rounds sharing the bears’ food. He or she is still shy and jumpy, but it is getting used to me sitting at my desk and now clicking the camera a bit.
It was nice to see Chloe and her cubs stop by again. Another highlight was a visit by Hank and Linda Ziobro to hand me a check for the $5,600 proceeds from the virtual auction as part of the virtual Lilypad picnic this past July. Thank you so much to all who participated. We’re hoping for a real Lilypad picnic in 2022.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center