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June gives us a scare

June gives us a scare

September 8, 2010 – 8:07 PM CDT

June resting her head on log - Sept 4, 2010After the loss of Sarah yesterday, our nerves were a bit frazzled today.  So when 9-year-old June’s signal disappeared a few hours after a homeowner threatened to shoot her, we feared she was dead and we were stunned.  We tried to shift our minds to life without June.  We tried to fill the emptiness with thoughts of June’s personality and what she had shown us over the years.   We thought it ironic that the bear that spends the most time in remote roadless areas would be the one killed over the loss of a birdfeeder.  We thought how amazing it is that her territory surrounds the campground in Bear Head Lake State Park, yet she has never entered the campground.

We wondered if any young bear coming up could ever replace her.  We missed Sarah even more, knowing that she had been perhaps the best candidate considering her personality, accessibility, and chances of long-time survival in a home range with few people.

We thought of 2-year-old Jo who could have cubs this January but who is often unavailable in roadless areas and has a high risk of being killed on Highway 169 that runs through her territory.  However, she survived being hit last year and again this year and hopefully is learning to be more careful crossing.

We thought of young Jewel, June’s daughter, and wondered if she has potential.

We called the local conservation officer about June.  He came quickly.  Then, a location from June came up on the computer.  It seemed impossible.  The location seemed odd.  We rushed off to see if June was okay.  She was fine—and safely within her state park.  Such unbelievable relief.  Picture above (taken Sept 4) shows June using a log as a pillow as she snoozes in the dappled sunlight of a cedar swamp.

Back at the Research Center, after hardly eating all day, word came that Lily’s fans had delivered a bounty of food to the Bear Center.  Lynn’s wife Donna brought some out to the Research Center—delicious Colorado peaches, lasagna that hit the spot, and an outstanding salad that we couldn’t fairly judge when we were so hungry.  A complete and wonderful meal.  Thank you!

Meanwhile, Beth Jett’s great news piece about Sarah last night on Channel 21 generated broader media coverage.

At the same time, you continued working on the Education Outreach project and making generous donations.

Thank you for all you do.

—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center


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