Putting Lily’s radio-collar back on
Putting Lily’s radio-collar back on
March 20, 2010 5:40 PM CDT
Around 11 PM CDT last night, Lily hooked her claws under her radio-collar and deftly slipped it over her head—then proceeded to chew on it! We wanted to retrieve it before she destroyed it completely like other study bears have done. This morning she was too lethargic to come out of her den—she doesn’t seem like a ‘morning bear’ lately. She’s been more active in the afternoon, so we made another attempt then. Even then she was slow to wake up and come out. We think bears reduce the blood supply to their legs when they are resting Evidence that black bears reduce peripheral blood flow during hibernation. Eventually she calmly came out on shaky legs. Lynn felt honored that Lily trusted him enough to come out right next to him in such a shaky condition. It took both grapes and your freshly arrived filberts to coax her out. At first Lynn couldn’t see the collar in the den, and then he realized Hope was neatly curled up in it! Hope didn’t squawk when Lynn gently moved her back with a hoe and hooked the collar to pull it out. At one point, Lily and Lynn were shoulder to shoulder on all fours looking into the den together. What a trusting bear Lily is. The collar is back on—but just as loose as before, which may be a mistake. We’ll see if she keeps it on. We may tighten it a notch when Lily and Hope are closer to emergence.
Animal Planet has begun to advertize ‘Bearwalker of the Northwoods’ which premieres Sunday, April 4, 2010 at 7:00 PM ET/PT (http://www.wildkingdom.com/episodes/index.html).
Thank you again for your contributions and support.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, North American Bear Center