Colleen's 2 cubsWith no mom in sight, the 4 cubs of 17-year-old Colleen and 3-year-old Ohio (daughters of Donna and RC, both still living at 20 and 21) got together in the tub on this 75°F day. When they left, they all stayed together as budding play partners.
Colleens cubThese cubs are growing well, and those of Cinnamon and non-clan Kimani are, too, now that they have found food here in this year of bleak bear food in the forest. Kimani has produced 2 or 3 cubs in previous years. We suspect that she has already lost a cub or two to be down to only one now. The DNR says that mothers with cubs are likely to get hit hardest by the lack of food and by their vulnerability to hunters’ baits. That is our prediction, too. For the families we know, we are hoping for the best.
In years like this, we doubly wish the DNR would start the hunting season after Labor Day for the safety of vacationers and for the safety of pregnant, early-denning mothers-to-be, considering that Minnesota’s bear population is only about half what is was at the beginning of this century.
Our friends at the Northwoods Bear Foundation are hosting an online auction to benefit the North American Bear Center. All the details are on their Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1377169629133985
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center