Lily and Hope - The Black Bear and Cub

Thank you for the update Lai, again Hope is proving to be one determined little bear cub, going from strength to strength, and to know she is foraging for herself as well is wonderful.

Thanks for the links to the pictures Anne-Marie.....just lovely.

littlewid-x-

Update on Lily - 8th June

Lily has a mate



Hope caught on trail cameraWhat a day! 49 degrees, rain and wind all day. Sue stood in the rain 10+ hours waiting for Hope, who was a total “no show.” All day, Sue thought just another hour—Hope has to be hungry by now. But black bears’ lives are ruled by fear and food, in that order. If the rain and wind made it too hard to hear danger coming, she would play it safe. She probably spent the day safe up a tree somewhere. Her last visit to the food was at 5:33 AM.

We wondered why Lily’s GPS unit showed her moving all over creation miles outside her territory. We knew from previous years that estrus females may lay down scent trails in neighboring territories to attract males. Could she be in estrus already? Lynn homed in on her telemetry signal with the BBC crew in tow. The poor crew and their equipment were in for a struggle. They ended up wading through black ash swamps and getting totally soaked getting to Lily over a mile away from a road. Their approach scared the male away from his and Lily’s double bed. They saw Lily but she had no interest in the people or Lynn’s handful of nuts. She was on a mission. With her nose to the ground, she was frantically circling to pick up his trail and track him down. She disappeared. Eventually, she circled back for the usual handful of nuts that lets us change GPS units, adjust radio-collars, take heart rates, and do general exams. Lily definitely was in estrus. We feel good every time we gather data based on trust rather than the old methods of trapping and tranquilizing. As Lily gobbled down the nuts, she looked in one direction—maybe toward the male unseen in the dense swamp.

Just got a call that Juliet and her cubs were seen. Will try to get a collar and GPS on her. Got to run.

Thank you for your contributions!

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

Lai

I really hope so Doogs - it seems so harsh, but i guess if Lily was a young mum herself then that's nature and how they learn

I feel so sorry for poor little Hope being all alone out there with no company!

Lai

Yes of course, and that's why it's so tough, it happens all the time but with Lily and Hope we've been there all the way. I wonder if Hope is lonely, it must be tough having no one to play with and no company. I think i am humanising bears here

Lai

Too true Doogs

Lai

Lets keep our fingers crossed the weather improves, and Hope can come down, and get some food plus the supplement. I suppose because Lillys milk dried up as a first time Mum she thinks she is no use to the cub, and with comeing back into estrus so soon all thought of Hope would vanish. It is sad though
WS

Careful Doogs, you're going to make me cry

Poor little Hope all by herself!!

Now you've got me thinking about Hope being all alone and no-one to play with, so i'm going to give myself a shake and remember that she is doing really well and is clever enough to realise that with all the wind and rain she wouldn't smell or hear danger, so she is smart enough to stay high in the tree.....well done Hope, you clever bear.

Lily has a mate, how exciting, sad she and Hope didnt have a better ending but who knows, second time around could be good, fingers crossed, I am sure we would all go through another Lily birth if we had the opportunity of seeing it again......i'm jumping the gun there a bit I know.

There are so many twists and turns to Lily and Hopes lives and as you all say, we are so drawn in because we have been right there with them and they feel like part of our extended family and we have taken them into our hearts.

littlewid-x-

Little Hope never fails to bring a smile to my face - pictures

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=6254548&op=1&view=all&subj=455521214477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=455521214477&id=263755115498&fbid=432467375498

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=6254547&op=1&view=all&subj=455521214477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=455521214477&id=263755115498&fbid=432467260498

She really is still so small though, seeing her against the tree and leaves makes you realise she's so small.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=6254113&id=263755115498

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=6254401&id=263755115498&fbid=432457640498

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=6254433&id=263755115498&fbid=432459585498

We've certainly been spoilt with photo's today!!

Thanks for posting Anne-Marie - Hope is just so adorable

Lai

Thanks for putting the updates on AM. She really is doing well for a little Bear. Those pics are fantastic
WS

Update from 10th June

We saw Lily long enough to get her GPS going today. She’s back in her usual area, but far from Hope. Hope continues to eat what we put out for her, but spends most of her time foraging and exploring elsewhere. June is back after traveling far outside her territory. Things are going well.

Thanks to Lily’s fans, our 31st anniversary celebration was great yesterday. But the wonderful food you sent turned us into scrapping, gluttonous c competitors. Lynn didn’t realize until today that the beautiful and very good cake from Plum Bun Bakery was something you ordered. Thank you so much. The cake didn’t make any trouble. There was just enough for everyone. The pretty tray of cheeses and meats all folded neatly was also enough for everyone. The cookies, all delicious and individually wrapped, brought out hording instincts in a few. The big problem was the big, beautiful black cherries from Michigan.
Lily's mother June - June 10, 2010Donna saw them come in a couple days earlier and wanted to open them and dig in. She had to wait for the celebration. A half hour before the celebration began, Lynn created a problem by opening it and sharing it with a couple people who are buying us bullet proof vests for walking with bears in hunting season come September. Lynn thought that if the people wanted to save our lives, the least he could do was share the cherries. Donna didn’t notice. She was over talking with Glenn and Nancy, two researchers who were celebrating their 54th anniversary on the same day as Lynn and Donna. Sharon Johnson noticed how fast the cherries were disappearing between Lynn and his two friends and Cynthia Stokes, a retired flute player for the St Paul Chamber Orchestra. She grabbed the box to rescue them for Sue. Lynn whined a little but eventually thanked Sharon for saving him from selfishly eating them all. Sue took the remainder out in the woods and shared them with Hope. They were Hope’s favorite food last evening. At least until Donna discovered that Sue had taken all of the cherries. She called Lynn. Lynn called Sue who said only 12 were left. Lynn told her to save those for Donna, and Sue didn’t want to give them up, accusing Lynn of taking them out of the mouth of Hope. Sue eventually acquiesced, and Lynn took Donna the last 12 cherries today. Everything ended up copacetic, plus Lynn bought Donna a whole bag of black cherries (not as good) from Zup’s.

How like bears we became, which shows how human bears are.

Thank you so much for the food. It made the celebration. Can’t wait to meet as many of you as possible at the Lilypad Picnic.

Thank you for your contributions!

—Lynn and Donna Rogers, North American Bear Center

Lai

Thanks for posting Lai. Was just catching up on Lily and Hope. Hate to read about the hunting season, I think its 6 weeks of it from September. Makes me so cross I feel its going to be a very worrying 6 weeks. I hope that Hope has learnt to trust Sue by then so Sue can walk with her.

After seeing Bearwalker of the Northwoods, it makes me feel even more cross and sick. They lay food traps for the bears then sit and wait up a tree!! I think the hunting of a few hunters is now in order!!

Nice picture of Lily: https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=6261987&op=1&view=all&subj=455969294477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=455969294477&id=263755115498

And one of Grandma June: https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=6261988&op=1&view=all&subj=455969294477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=455969294477&id=263755115498&fbid=432824515498

Lovely photos

bear hunting

Lai

https://www.facebook.com/lily.the.black.bear?ref=ts#!/photo.php?pid=6265007&id=263755115498

Facebook update: Lily the Black BearJune 11, 2010 (9:52 AM CDT) A check of the feeding site at 7:30 this morning found Hope climbing the same birch she was in the other day. It has a nice Hope-sized notch she likes to rest in. The trail cam showed no visits during the night, just Hope arriving at 7:01 AM. Her visits are irregular and we have not been able to pattern them

Just caught up with the updates from yesterday and today, thank you so much Anne-Marie and Lai and also for the wonderful photos. Hope is doing really wel but she does look so small still but how wonderful that she is forraging on her own for the food she loves.

Oh heck, the hunting season. I remember watching one of Lynns programmes before during the bear hunting season, he did loose some of his beloved bears even though they had the ribbons around their necks, it was awful. I too am hoping that Hope Trusts Sue enough so that Sue can walk with her during this dreadful time.
This is another dreadful so called sport that I wish could be stopped for good, September is nearly upon us and it's so worrying.

littlewid-x-

And here's the picture that goes with the latest update
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6270522&op=1&view=all&subj=456347959477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=456347959477&id=263755115498

Thanks for the update Anne-Marie, looks like Hope being abandoned was down to Lilys age and inexperience, it's just such good news that Hope is doing so well with a little bit of help and her own determination.
Lovely picture again, looks like her little food bowl was empty.

littlewid-x-

Update June 12, 2010 – 9:41 PM CDTShare
Yesterday at 04:00
Hope progresses


Hope in maple tree - June 12, 2010
Hope is becoming more of a bear every day. While she is extremely cautious, going on alert at the break of a distant twig, she is making herself known. Today we watched as she scent-marked like a big bear. She straddled small bushes and walked over them. She stomp-walked, putting her forefeet down hard and sliding them. Yet, any potential danger starts her up a tree. She’s living bold, yet smart. She’s a survivor. She’s no longer emaciated. And she is growing. When she stood up today, we estimated her to be over two feet tall. Next time she does that, we’ll try to get an exact measurement.

Lily spent the afternoon a mile and a half southwest of Hope and is still there now (9:06 PM). Lily is no longer traveling widely. We need to check on her to see if that’s because she’s with a male or just foraging.

The travels of Grandma June have surprised us lately, especially considering how early in the year the females are traveling so widely in this year of a record early spring. She traveled over 13 miles northeast, then 15 miles east, then 7 miles southwest, returning home after each trip. June is comfortable with people where she is used to seeing them, but on these trips, she avoided populated areas and individual houses scattered through the forest. As far as we can tell, she was not seen on any of these forays. One of the beauties of this area is that there are still places for bears to roam without getting into trouble.

Thank you for your contributions!

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

Here is the photo from the article
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6279260&op=1&view=all&subj=456680849477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=456680849477&id=263755115498