Who would believe what we are seeing?
Update March 27, 2010 – 6:43 PM CDT
Seeing Hope wobble around makes a person laugh out loud, but it’s all a revelation for us. We have never watched cubs develop their strength and coordination before. We’re glad all of you are watching, too. If we didn’t have witnesses, who would believe what we are seeing?
We believe the time mothers with cubs leave their dens is dictated by when the cubs can escape danger by running to trees and climbing to safety. Here in northern Minnesota, that is usually mid-April. A mother with an extra small cub did not leave her den until early May. But a den that flooded the beginning of April forced the bears to leave on April 2. The snow was deep. One cub could follow, but the mother had to carry the other two by their heads. This was slow going. She had to make a separate trip for each cub. She moved them only 23 yards to the base of two big aspens, dug down into the snow, and lay on her back. The crying cubs climbed up onto her belly, and she covered them with her four legs. The mother basked squinting in the sun. The cubs quieted down against the warmth of her belly. After a few minutes, the largest cub poked her head out and looked at mom as if to say “I’m okay now, mom.” At least, that was my interpretation. Look at the picture and see what you think.
We thought Hope would develop extra fast. We thought they’d leave around the beginning of April with Hope getting all the milk and with all the snow having melted. But that’s only five days away, and Hope doesn’t look ready for the big world yet. We’re all learning together.
The retail folks at the Bear Center are excited about the Lily and Hope memorabilia they’re having made. One is a t-shirt with the picture of Lily and Hope and the caption “I hibernated with Lily and Hope in 2010.” Another is a classy tote bag with the same picture but no caption other than Lily and Hope, www.bear.org, and maybe Ely, Minnesota. Another is a coffee mug with yesterday’s picture of Lily emerging and the words “It’s me, bear” on one side and the picture of Lily and Hope and the words “Thank you, bears” on the other side. The mug is a bigger mug with a different shape and a green interior. I suspect they will be posting pictures soon and be taking orders. The DVD with the full UK version of “Bearwalker of the Northwoods” is also progressing. A company has completed the beautiful wrap for the case and is beginning production of the DVD. This is the DVD you have been pre-ordering (thank you!).
I’m writing this update alone because Sue is off to a play her husband is in. She’ll post it when she gets back. She will be writing the updates for the next few days while the old Bearman flies off to New York to promote the Bearwalker program. The schedule so far includes NBC Today (at 7:48 AM?) on Monday, March 29, possibly Fox and Friends on Tuesday, March 30, and Martha Stewart on Wednesday, March 31. We won’t know about Fox and Friends until Monday. Animal Planet is trying to set up other venues to maximize the trip. The trip is a chance to stir interest in bears nationwide with all expenses paid by Animal Planet. Another goal of the trip is to visit the American Museum of Natural History to get ideas for improving the Bear Center. Bearwalker of the Northwoods airs as an episode of Wild Kingdom on April 4.
Thank you for your contributions and support. In fact, it’s amazing what you do to help.
—Lynn Rogers, Biologist, North American Bear Center