 Hope 9-27-2010 |
 Hope 8-16-11 by Jackie Runions |
On this 14th anniversary of that sad time, I’m remembering the bear whose death caused broader tears and dejection than most human deaths. She was known around the world and was giving the world a new view of bears that created a worldwide move toward coexistence that had never before been possible. What people saw in Hope and Lily was creating an understanding of bears that let them see the extent to which bears had been harmed by the old misconceptions that Lily and Hope were refuting. As people recognized the harm that had been done to bears by the old misconceptions, people also saw how badly the misconceptions had harmed other long-feared mammals like wolves, coyotes bobcats, mountain lions, and others. Lily and Hope showed they have feelings. The picture taken by Jackie Runions of Hope looking up defensively at a person holding a radio collar that Hope didn’t want to wear, and didn’t, is worth a thousand words. The hunter who shot her and caused so much grief with her loss wouldn’t have done it if she was wearing a radio collar. She had so much more to share with the world to help bears.
Hope, Lily & Faith 6-21-2011
 Lily and Hope 3-17-2010 |
 Lily and Hope 4-2-2010 |
Hope and Faith by Jim Stroner
The word that Lily Fans were spreading created a new public value about bears and other long-feared animals that had long been disparaged by the old misconceptions. I remember the November/December 2021 issue of Wildlife Professional Magazine with a cover showing a big crowd watching a wild black bear with interest and cameras rather than fear. The cover said ‘Crisis of Change: How should wildlifers respond to shifting public values?’ One of the articles was about the public backlash that followed when officials killed a bobcat with a blow to the head. The article said that people were becoming “more willing to coexist with wildlife once considered troublesome.” It also discussed Colorado voters approving a ballot initiative to reintroduce wolves there. I believe what Lily, Hope, and Lily Fans did to start such a movement is a big part of the positive shift in public values of such animals.
 Hope 8-18-2010 |
 Hope - 7-2011 by Jim Stroner |
As I wrote this I had many thankful thoughts for what Lily, Hope, and their fans did and why I always say “Thank you for all YOU do. I wish Hope was still here, and I hope we can resume such education.
Thank you for all you do,
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center