Ted
"Pooch Pal" captured this 5-minute music video of Ted active in his chalet yesterday. Makes a person want to touch noses with him and hear his friendly grunts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNmbHiRL13A. The screenshot above was snapped by Pond Chat Moderator Mike Mathis.
Also yesterday, Pretty Girl was here constantly until she disappeared about 12:30 PM. At 1:05 PM, the bobcat arrived. Pretty Girl has not been seen since. At about 4 PM, Peggy went out the front door and saw the bobcat tear out from under the deck and run up the driveway. This morning at 2:45 AM, Peggy opened the third floor window to see if Pretty Girl would show herself if she called for her. Before she could call, the bobcat heard the window open and tore out from under the front deck again.
We saw no bobcat or fox after that until about 7:30 PM this evening when a fox came sniffing around the usual spots visited by Pretty Girl. Peggy called. The fox ran. A half hour later, the fox was back. Peggy opened the second floor door which usually brings Pretty Girl running. The fox ran up the driveway. Could this have been a male looking for a mate?
Today, thinking about my book, I looked up two strong mentors who I haven’t caught up with for years. The first was Dr. G. Edgar Folk, Jr. who pioneered studies of black bear hibernation physiology and the field of Environmental Physiology. Back in the 1970’s, when he was in his 60’s, we coauthored a report on hibernation after sharing data and thoughts for years. (click here to view) He was ageless and dedicated to science. I remember being surprised in 1998 when he, at 84, updated his 500-page textbook ‘Principles of Integrative Environmental Physiology.’ But he didn’t end with that. In 2012, at 98, he published his memoir ‘Science on the Far Horizon.’ He was still sharp as a tack. Five years later, on December 10, 2017, he died at 103. I can only wish to do that well.
The other mentor was a childhood buddy and classmate of Dr. Folk at Harvard University named Dr. Donald Griffin. Donald, the founder of the study of animal cognition had become a professor at Harvard University and Rockefeller University. I had long followed his research, beginning with his publication of the book ‘The Question of Animal Awareness’ in 1976. He had also followed my work, but we didn’t meet until November 5, 2001, when I was scheduled to give an evening talk at Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts. My host, Lydia Rogers (no relation), surprised me by inviting Professor Griffin over to her house for lunch. By that time, I had used a beaver cam to spy on beavers in a winter lodge, and Donald had done the same. We spent hours talking. That evening we all went for my talk. I was pleased to be able to quote Dr. Griffin in answering one of the questions from the audience that evening. I felt honored that soon after that he gave me the equipment he had used for his beaver cam. He was slowing down because of health problems and died two years later at 88 on November 7, 2003.
Many good memories and feelings of thankfulness for friends and mentors who have helped and are helping yet today.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center