Lily and Hope - The Black Bear and Cub

Hope updates from the weekend:
Update June 19, 2010 – 10:26 PM CDTShare
Yesterday at 05:00
Hope finally seen again


Image of Hope captured on trail camera - June 18, 2010
After missing little Hope several times due to her irregular visits to the feeding site, we connected with her there tonight about 9 PM after an hour wait. She is fine. Interestingly, Lily still has not been back to that area since the breakup 18 days ago.

There has been a lot of discussion and opinions about what we should have done with Hope. Some newspapers have been critical, depending upon their ideas of how research should be conducted. Our usual approach of simple observational science has ranked our research one of the four major studies of large mammals in the world. It has enabled us to senior-author more peer reviewed scientific papers on black bears than anyone else. Two of those papers were ranked by bear researchers and managers around the world as being in the top five most useful publications on bears ever written. Nevertheless, a couple years ago we were officially criticized for not going beyond observation. We were criticized for not delving into experimentation and hypothesis testing like most researchers do. Now, the separation of Lily and Hope has not only offered us that opportunity but required us to do exactly that to better understand their behavior, and we are criticized for intervening and saving Hope’s life. We know we can’t please all the people all the time. We work to do what we judge to be the best for the bears and what will best fill unknowns in the scientific literature based on our 44 years of research experience.

New situations sometimes require new methods to learn new things. We feel that the course we are following with Hope is the best for science and for her.

We heard the loud cry to let nature take its course and let Hope die. We rejected that from a scientific standpoint because we wouldn’t have learned anything we didn’t already know.

We heard the cry to place Hope in a rehab facility or give her a home in the Bear Center. From a monetary standpoint, putting Hope in the Bear Center would have drawn big crowds. But that’s not what drives our research decisions. Hope in captivity would have taught us very little.

As we see how things are working out, we are very happy we chose to give Hope a temporary hand so she can live in the wild. That is where she can best fill unknowns in the scientific literature. Already, she is helping us understand the separation. Eventually, she should answer scientific questions about nature versus nurture as it pertains to diet, denning, developing social relations, and establishing a territory. Or, a totally different scenario is possible. Lily and Hope could re-unite, hibernate together, and provide an explanation for the mixed-age litters that are reported. Lily will likely have cubs this winter.

Hope may be in the process of showing us something that can help other orphans. Typically, orphans too young to survive are placed in captivity, fed for a year, and then released back into the wild. But might orphans have a better chance of learning wild ways if they are left in the wild—aided only by temporary supplements until they can find wild foods? We’re testing that by temporarily supplying formula, grapes, nuts, and mealworms. Already, she is switching to wild foods and scent-marking her area as if to establish ownership. We hesitate to speak too soon, but it seems to be working. We do wish she would keep to a more regular schedule of visiting the feeding site so we could be there to gain her trust and radio-collar her. But it is also nice to see her behaving independently, ranging up to a mile and a quarter and depositing droppings filled with remains of wild foods.

Nothing a person can do is totally right or wrong. We can only wait and see how things turn out. Was it right to give Hope a hand? Her life will provide the final answer.
Thank you for your continued support of our research and educational efforts.

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

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=6348991&op=1&view=all&subj=459539564477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=459539564477&id=263755115498

Update June 20, 2010 – 7:00 PM CDTShare
Today at 03:35
Elusive Lily


Hope at feeding station - June 20, 2010
We went out twice today to make contact with Lily to check her milk glands and her estrus status. The first time, she seemed too far into the woods for the short time we had, and we chose not to pursue her. The second attempt was a woods marathon. Many rocky ridges to climb over. Finally, we glimpsed a bit of her back in tall raspberry bushes maybe 35 yards away. She paid no attention to us and ambled off 1.6 miles east into Donna’s territory as we attempted to follow, gave up, dragged ourselves back to the van, and drove around to head her off. We wanted to see if she crossed a road with a male in tow. Beautiful Victor has been around lately and we wondered if Lily had hooked up with him. The last time Lily ignored us and moved off like this, she was with a male. A male would not be surprising. When RC lost a single cub some years ago in May, she continued to attract males into August. Somewhere along the way, RC mated and produced a litter the following winter.

On this trek, though, it appears poor Lily had the misfortune to run into Donna. The GPS locations showed that both bears moved abruptly 2/3 of a mile south, probably as a result of 10-year-old Donna chasing 3-year-old Lily out of her (Donna’s) territory. We didn’t see Lily again, weren’t able to check her estrus status, and couldn’t confirm that she was with a male.

If Victor does end up being the father of Lily’s next litter, the cubs will be darling. Victor has a big white patch on his chest, a light muzzle like Lily, and nice light brown eyebrow patches like Lily. Victor is a big, mature male we know fairly well but he is too timid for us to see him in the woods. On the other hand, a different male was around when Lily hooked up with a male a week or two ago. Midnight was around then, and he is a dark-faced terror. Not a terror to people—he is the usual timid big male—but a terror to other males. When he arrived in the area last year, there was a sudden rash of new scars across the faces of the other males that were around, some of them bigger than him. Victor bears a particularly nasty scar across his nose and we believe Midnight is the culprit.

As we clambered about after Lily, we thought how safe the woods are here. We don’t think of bears, wolves, and coyotes as any danger. We hear stories about rutting bull moose or defensive cow moose with calves, but we have never found them to be a danger. It’s doubtful if any mountain lions live here. The little things that would scare us either don’t live here or are rare. For example, we have never found a deer tick—the ones most likely to spread Lyme disease. The only ticks we find are the fairly harmless dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) that can make an itchy bump if you don’t remove them soon, but they don’t spread Lyme disease. Ticks are pretty scarce this year although they are abundant only 40 miles south of us. Spiders are not a problem either—no black widow or brown recluse spiders here. Also, no poisonous snakes—no rattlesnakes or water moccasins. The plants are benign—no poison oak or poison sumac. Poison ivy is very uncommon. We know a few places where it grows, but most days we don’t see any. This year, mosquitoes and black flies are not a problem. It’s not a bad bug year. No-see-ums, deer flies, and the occasional horse fly are the worst problems, and we can tolerate them.

For the bears, deer flies and horse flies are the most irritating bugs except maybe itchy tick bites. The bears react to deer flies and horse flies. They recognize the buzz and try to avoid them, slap them, and bite them out of the air. They stop what they are doing to focus on these hard-biting flies. In the old days of walking with deer, we’d also see deer lie down for a nap until a deer fly or horse fly burrowed into their fur and got them up. Fortunately, these flies sleep at night, giving bears and deer some rest. Black flies and stable flies also sleep at night, giving rest to weary wildlife in years when those flies are more abundant.

We are writing this update early because this evening Gordon Buchanan and Lynn will see if Hope shows up 8:30 to 9:30 or so and Sue and her husband are off to dinner with BBC producer Ted Oakes and his wife Jo.

Thank you for all your support for the research and education and for putting us over the top on the $100,000 matching challenge. The $700,000 debt has been cut in half. Incredible. Many thanks!

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

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=6359081&op=1&view=all&subj=459950309477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=459950309477&id=263755115498

She's growing up, she's slowly losing all the lighter fur round her eyes!!

I love reading these updates, but i feel so sorry for them, damned if they do and damned if they don't. Personally i think they've done the right thing with giving Hope a helping hand. She is just wonderful to see and now she is growing up perhaps we can relax a little more.

Thanks for posting the updates and photos Anne-Marie,

Lai

Thank you for the updates Anne-Marie. Like Lai I think they have done the right thing with Hope too, I know I was not sure at the beginning about their research ethics but the more we fnd out the more I truely believe they are doing the right thing and at the heart of it all, Hope wants to survive and all they are doing is helping her to do so on her terms and as a free little bear, I think they need applauding for all they are doing.

littlewid-x-

Oh yes , those two male bears sound wonderful and i'm sure Lily wouldn't mind either one of them being the father of her next cub/cubs.

Update June 21, 2010 – 10:13 PM CDTShare
Today at 04:41
What is it like being Hope?


Hope on alert - June 20, 2010
We thought little Hope, all alone, might bond with caregivers more readily than cubs that have mothers. The opposite is true. Maybe it’s just her personality. Maybe it’s because she has the responsibility of protecting herself. She is surprisingly defensive and wary. She behaves like there is danger all around and is slow to trust us. But she trusts us more than the dangers she perceives in the forest. This evening, she would grab a nut, hurry close to her big red pine, and focus her ears toward the wall of leaves and stems that limit visibility to maybe 30 feet. With each bite, she went and focused in the same direction, standing with her back to us, ignoring us. Sometimes, she started up the tree. We have no idea what had her keyed up. When she finally was full of 16 ounces of formula, a cup of nuts, 2 cups of red grapes, and some mealworms, she looked in the usual direction and raced high up the red pine as it was getting dark.

She seemed extra hungry. We were disappointed to see her disappear up the red pine when we dearly wanted a scat to see what she had been eating today. It had rained, so we would expect her to be a little wet, but she was soaked when she arrived. We wondered if she had been catching crayfish. A scat from a few days ago was half full of crayfish parts.

According to the trail cameras, she did not visit the feeding site today until we arrived. We suspect she is ranging ever more widely to forage. And well she might. Yesterday, we noticed that blueberries on a sunny ridge were ripe. Juneberries there were nearly ripe—red but not yet purple.

We’re happy to see wild foods developing as they are. With little Hope out there having to forage on her own, it’s a good year for berries to be abundant. We feared they would get frosted out with the early spring causing early blossoming, increasing the chances of a spring frost killing the blossoms. But it’s going to be a good year. Chokecherry trees are unusually loaded with green berries. Same for pincherry trees. Many of the juneberries, a favorite, are very small and dry, but some are fairly juicy. A moderate crop of hazelnuts is coming on. Wild sarsaparilla, another favorite, will be reasonably abundant.

Hope should do fine. Of course, there’s always a chance of something bad happening. The area has a good population of wolves and coyotes, but they can’t climb trees. Hope can climb like a squirrel, and we suspect she is living her life near trees. Even bears less vulnerable than she is do that. We have tracked nearly mature bears that went from one big refuge tree to the next, staying as safe as they could.

Thank you for your support of the research and education.

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


Bless little Hope!! So very aware of her surroundings. I just wish they could get a collar on her soon!

I agree with both LW and Lai. I didn't think they were doing the right thing helping her, thinking it was better to let nature take its course. But now look at her, she's out foraging for herself, she certainly has the will and determination and only needs a little helping hand. Stay strong little Hope.

On another note Gordan Buchanan twittered yesterday that he had finally met up with Hope so I've sent him a message asking him if he was making a documentary. I will let you know if he replies.

Trail cam pic of Hope
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6373277&op=1&view=all&subj=460405944477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=460405944477&id=263755115498

Anne-Marie, hope just gets my respect more every day. She is a tough little cookie who is obviously well tuned into her surroundings and has learnt fast how to stay safe. It's nice to know that although the trust is slow, she is trusting the team more than she fears the dangers. She is feeding herself well and really gettin gon with life but like you I wish they could get a collar on her soon so we know they will be in constant contact with her.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Gordon was making a documentary, lets hope he replies back with good news, thank you for messaging him and agian a big thank you for the update.

littlewid-x-

Hmmm, he didn't reply but has updated his twitter since, so me thinks he's not going to reply.

Update June 22, 2010 – 10:17 PM CDTShare
Today at 04:46
Lily returns


Hope arrives at feeding station - June 22, 2010
7:38 PM. Sue just arrived at Hope’s feeding site. Telemetry signals show Lily to be approaching. It’s the first time Lily has visited the area since she split from Hope nearly 3 weeks ago. The trail cam shows Hope came to the feeding site at 4:54 PM. We don’t know where Hope is, but her scent is present from her recent visit. Sue has the HD video camera and hopes to record Lily’s reactions to Hope’s scent and any interactions should Hope arrive. High anticipation here.

10:17 PM. Lily’s signal was very close but she did not come to Hope’s red pine feeding station. Instead she moved off to the west. I stayed until 10:00 PM but Hope did not come. I left some formula and a few grapes and pecans in case she visits the feeding station during the night. I’ll try again in the morning. —SM


We got a couple weights a few days ago. Hope’s Grandma June weighs only 197 pounds after traveling all over creation. Hope’s mother Lily is only 161 pounds. She probably weighed even less 3 weeks ago. Does her low weight explain anything about the separation?

Thank you again for stepping up to the plate for the challenge grant and for all the things so many of you have done to support the research and education with food, equipment, encouragement, and other ways. We appreciate everything so much. We have never had this much support, and it’s making a big difference, as you know.

—Lynn Rogers, Biologist, North American Bear Center

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=6383756&op=1&view=all&subj=460835524477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=460835524477&id=263755115498

Thank you AM. You are doing a great job with the updates. Little Hopes pic is lovely and I think she is definitely getting bigger.

SM

Facebook update from 8 hours ago

Lily the Black Bear June 23, 2010 (10:24 PM CDT) Hope came to the feeding station at 9:20 PM and was ravenous! She made short work of the mealworms and grapes, then drank half the formula and ate most of the pecans. When she climbed the red pine, we left the remaining formula and pecans at the base and bid her farewell.

And here's the normal daily up date

Update June 23, 2010 – 8:16 PM CDTShare
Today at 03:30
Three Generations

Sue started the day waiting from 6 until 8 AM for Hope. It was Hope-less. Hope had been there at 3 AM to feed , and she doesn’t make social calls. When she comes to eat, she’s working. She’s beginning to trust us, but she has no real affection for us. She has her own wild agenda to occupy her mind. She has to forage and avoid danger. When she is at the feeding station, it’s take a bite and go on alert. The feeding station is at the base of a red pine she had bedded at with Lily. The feeding site is there so Hope can feel as secure as possible while snatching bites of supplemental food. Any unidentified sound and she is up the tree. The radio-collar should arrive in a week or so, but we don’t know if she will let us put it on her. She is a wary cub that doesn’t like to be touched. And there’s no way we will risk drugging her.

Lynn caught up with yearling Jewel (June’s daughter, Hope’s aunt) in a cedar swamp and found she has grown in stature but is very skinny. On her own, Jewel is probably spending a lot of time up trees instead of foraging. Lynn loosened her radio-collar a notch thinking of the ripening hazelnuts and berries. He also removed a number of engorged ticks and offered them to Jewel. She ate all but a small one that was scarcely engorged yet. Yearlings are vulnerable to ticks after family breakup because family members groom each other to remove ticks. The deer flies are abundant now in the open areas and a few buzzed around Jewel in the swamp, causing her to react, as bears do to these hard-biting flies. Lynn snatched one off her ear and showed it to her. She ate it.

Next, Lynn found Hope’s Grandma June bedded in a cedar swamp and replaced her GPS unit so we can get another 10 days of locations. June has been traveling a lot, probably exploring possibilities for shifting her territory to make room for Lily and Jewel to establish their territories in her old stomping grounds. Today, June seemed worn out and didn’t bother to get up until Lynn bribed her with nuts so he could change the GPS unit and get her heart rate (95/min). She was resting on a nice bed of moss with no deer flies around. Surprisingly, she had no ticks, even on places she can’t reach. We don’t know how she managed that.


Lily after rain - June 23, 2010
Last but not least was Lily. Lynn finally caught up with her to check her milk and estrus status. Her breasts have nearly disappeared except for the nipples. All the lumpiness from the clogged milk ducts is gone. She wasn’t with a male, but her swollen vulva indicates estrus. She may be attractive on and off for weeks if she is anything like RC. RC once lost a cub in May like Lily did. Lily was intrigued with the smells of Jewel and June on Lynn’s clothes. After thoroughly smelling him from the waist down, she came back and did it again. She didn’t seem thrilled about it. Something else she wasn’t thrilled about was the deer flies bothering her. She was in an open area to feed and was contending with the usual deer flies. Seeing 3-year-old Lily right after seeing 9-year-old June made it especially noticeable how narrow Lily’s head is compared to June’s. Heads get wider with age and are a good way to judge full-grown bears from those that are still growing.

Will Hope come to the feeding site tonight? Time will tell. We’re limiting her ‘human’ exposure to just a few people at the feeding site. Data shows that habituation is quite specific to a location and somewhat to individuals. In all her independent travels, Hope has been spotted only once. That was a couple weeks ago along a river a mile and a quarter from the feeding site. She has stayed away from people other than at the feeding site. She will teach us a thing or two about habituation and its limitations. Habituation is a matter of stress and accommodation to new stimuli. Depending on where Hope settles, she may or may not get used to seeing people. As more and more people move into bear habitat, bears become more and more accustomed to seeing them and ignoring them.

Did we ever think Lily and Hope’s followers would reach 99,999 at 8:14 PM on this date? The big milestone could happen any second. Did we ever think donations to reduce the Bear Center’s debt could reach $360,188? Thank you again for all you are doing.

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

And here's a picture of Lily https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=lf#!/photo.php?pid=6393303&op=1&view=all&subj=461218984477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=461218984477&id=263755115498

A few more Hope updates from yesterday:

June 23, 2010 (8:27 AM CDT) Another 'no show' at the feeding station this morning. We haven't seen Hope there since Monday night -- but per the trail camera caught her there at 3 AM today -- 3 hours before I arrived. (14:27 our time)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6387065&id=263755115498

June 23, 2010 (1:34 PM CDT) Trail cam caught image of Hope stopping by the feeding station at 10:13 AM. She certainly sets her own schedule!
https://www.facebook.com/lily.the.black.bear?ref=ts#!/photo.php?pid=6389041&id=263755115498

Thanks AM.

Quick question how long is Hope away from Lily now?

SM

I think its been 3 weeks now, they were re-united around the end of May and then Lily left her again a few days later.

It feels alot longer. Hope has survived thus far, hopefully she will fatten up ok for winter.

SM

Thanks again for all the updates Anne-Marie, Hope seems to be giving them the slip during the day but at least the trail cam is picking he r up at the feeding station in the early hours.

it's lovely to have update on all the others too and the pics are adorable as ever.

SM is right, it does seem longer that they have been apart doesn't it, its probably because we all care so much about them.

littlewid-x-

It does really seem longer than that, and Hope as done really well upto now. It is the winter coming up though thats a bit of a worry, not only will she be fat enough, but will she know enough to find a Den to tough it out.
Thanks for the updates again AM
WS

You're right, it does seem so much longer, but I guess thats because we are all so involved with her story! Cub's of Hopes age know how to make a den apparently so that bodes well. And she's eating well so hopefully she'll be fat enough ... and they won't rule out the possibility of her denning with Lily, this would explain mixed aged litters. Hope certainly is teaching them lots. Lets just hope she lets them put the radio collar on her.

Update June 24, 2010 – 9:43 PM CDTShare
Today at 04:45
Lily with a male


Juneberries are ripening! - June 24, 2010
Hope fed at the feeding site last night at 9:20 PM. She checked back to find no food there at 5:11 AM today, then didn’t return again until 8:42 PM tonight. This picture of ripe Juneberries might explain why.

Hope’s radio-collar arrived today. Now we’ll see if she lets us put it on her. We’re very curious what she does and how far she travels between visits to the feeding site. We wonder how much time she spends foraging, escaping up trees, and why she is often wet when she arrives at the feeding site.

When we checked on Lily today, she was with a male. We didn’t see him at first. The first clue was that Lily wouldn’t look at us. She was only concerned where the male went. She cast about until she spotted him 40 yards away silently disappearing in the underbrush. Following her gaze, we saw him, too. Satisfied where he was, Lily relaxed and let us check her over. She is in full estrus.

We wondered who the male was. One-eyed Jack has been in the area the last two days, and we wondered if he was the suitor. Probably not. Jack showed up at the field station alone this evening. Now, near the end of mating season (except for Lily), Jack was no longer standing up and rubbing on trees although he stood up to smell a couple that bears often rubbed during the height of the mating season. He has his share of fresh wounds. Deep, swollen tooth punctures on his muzzle, cheek, and forehead are draining pus, plus an 8-inch diameter area on his back is scraped bare with no damage to the skin. We don’t understand that one.

Jack stepped on a scale to give us his end-of-mating weight—360 pounds, which probably will be his lightest weight of the year. Males lose as much or more weight during the 6 weeks of mating in late May and June as they lose during the 6 months of winter. Last year, he weighed 648.5 on August 30.

Jack is probably in his teens. He was already big when we first met him in August 2002. As is true for many big males (and contrary to popular thought), Jack is a mild-mannered bear that we feel comfortable being around. He is comfortable with us, too, so he gives us good data on mating when he accompanies radio-collared females we walk with. Jack is in one of the mating scenes in the full UK version of Bearwalker of the Northwoods. He is the male in the mating battle against Lumpy in that version of the documentary (and in the mating battle video on bear.org). Tonight, he was his usual mild-mannered self with a heart rate of 84/minute.

So we are still wondering who is with Lily. Tomorrow, Lily is due for a GPS unit change. We hope we can spot the male and identify him when and if we can catch up with Lily.

Thank you for your continued support for the research and education.

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

Thanks for the update Anne-Marie - i've enjoyed catching up with our bears

Lai

Thanks for the update Anne-Marie, I am hoping that Hope lets them put her collar on so they can keep tabs on her and see where she does roam, also wonder if she goes fishing for the crayfish to get so wet?

Mmmmmm I know want to know who Lily has an eye for.....could we be watching her again during denning giving birth again, how lovely that would be.

littlewid-x-

Series of updates from over the weekend.

Update June 25, 2010 – 9:34 PM CDTShare
Saturday at 05:12
Lily on the move


Lily brushing deer flies off her nose - June 24, 2010
We found Lily with a male yesterday, then she moved over 4 miles southwest and then sat tight in a small area through this rainy day. She is smack in Juliet’s territory and we are surprised she’s lingering rather than just passing through. About 5 PM, she moved another mile west. She is so far out in a roadless area that we were unable to reach her to see if she is still with the male and to change the batteries in her GPS unit. We hope it keeps sending locations for a few more days to help us find her in a more accessible area.

This picture of Lily brushing deer flies off her nose was taken yesterday (June 24).

Hope visited the feeding site at 5:16 AM and at 7:54 AM but had not come by 10:15 PM tonight. We just weren’t prepared to stay longer in the dark. We’ll see what secrets the trail cam revels in the morning. We’re anxious to get the radio-collar on her so we can see where she goes when she disappears like this.

People are picking some early blueberries. Maybe Hope is, too.

Thank you for your support of our research and education.

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

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=6412661&op=1&view=all&subj=462019464477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=462019464477&id=263755115498

Update June 26, 2010 – 9:50 PM CDTShare
Yesterday at 04:29
Can we collar Hope?


The elusive Hope - June 26, 2010
Once again Hope keeps us waiting. We have the radio-collar and some enticing food to keep her occupied. Now we sit… waiting… again. We hope to get her collared tonight because rain is predicted for tomorrow. The rain will make her nervous and the collaring more difficult. Here’s hoping!

Today, Lily moved farther outside her territory than ever before—a full 7.5 miles away from Hope. We suspect she is with a male. However, she’s in such a remote roadless area that we have not been able to get to her to verify. Because we can’t reach her we have not been able to change her GPS unit and the last reading we received was just before 5 PM.

This evening Juliet made a dramatic move south to the area of her territory where Lily was yesterday. The wind was coming from the south and we suspect Juliet caught Lily’s lingering scent and moved to investigate. Drama in the bear world!

Thank you for your ongoing support for our research and education.

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

Such an adorable photo of Hope
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=6423290&op=1&view=all&subj=462367769477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=462367769477&id=263755115498

June 27, 2010 – 6:50 PM CDTShare
Today at 02:44
Hope, Lily, June, and Juliet’s Cubs

Hope had us running this morning. At 7:00 AM, Lynn was heading out to see if a GPS could be replaced in 2-year-old Jo’s collar when he got an excited call from Sue that “the trail cam showed Hope at the feeding station just 2 minutes ago.” He switched course, called the BBC, and they all converged on the red pine feeding site at 6:27 AM. No Hope. They looked up trees all around. Miss Independent had moved on, probably for other foraging. They all decided to try radio-collaring her again in the evening. If she would send an image from the feeding site again before then, they’d all scramble again.

Next stop, Lily, who had moved 8 miles back into her territory overnight. Sue changed her GPS unit while an unidentified male was barely visible in the bushes. Lily moved off and disappeared.

Lynn wondered who the male might be and, with a BBC cameraman, tried to connect with her. In the process, Lily stepped out onto the railroad grade from the north and walked 108 steps per minute (a saunter), stopping here and there to dig out ant colonies. She was alone. Lily noticed Lynn and his van down the railroad grade. Lynn said, “It’s me, bear.” She relaxed and continued her work and walk toward him. Lynn offered her nuts to keep her in sight a little longer to see if a male might materialize. Lily paused but had her own ideas. After a few bites, she walked a quarter mile farther down the railroad grade investigating ant colonies and scent on low hanging branches. Then she headed south into the forest. Lynn and the cameraman drove on, turned around, and watched the grade for a few more minutes. No male. Puzzling.

Lily’s mother June began sending odd messages without coordinates from her GPS unit. She had been swimming, so water leakage was probably the problem. Sue tracked her down, changed her GPS unit, and brought the old one back to dry out. Sue made the change just before June headed into a roadless area and became inaccessible. June resumed sending GPS locations.


Juliet's 3 cubs - June 26, 2010
Next on the agenda: Juliet’s cubs. Ted the BBC producer called and said he wanted names for Juliet’s cubs so the story could progress before Gordon, who is featured in this documentary, headed back to England. Lynn asked Sue what she thought. “Anything but Sue,” she said, adding “It’s up to you.” Lynn, who prides himself in not being creative, made some calls for suggestions. He didn’t take any of them.

In a rare moment of decisiveness, he picked the name Sharon to honor Sharon Herrell and Sharon Johnson, two members of the Bear Center’s Miracle Team who have given a huge amount of work to make the Bear Center what it is. He thought of the name Donna to honor his wife Donna Rogers and to honor Bear Center Manager and Curator Donna Andrews. The same could be said for both of them, but 10-year-old Donna bear already has that name.

The second name he picked is Shirley for a woman who has worked mostly anonymously behind the scenes to make a huge difference for the Bear Center.

A third name was needed. All three of the cubs are females as identified in BBC footage we viewed forwards and backwards yesterday afternoon. With two of the names starting with “S,” Lynn thought the third name should be the same to help his old brain remember which bears are from which litters. Over Sue’s protest, he chose the name Sue. She does so much that people don’t even know about. Sue said Jamie (Donna Andrews’ middle name) would be more fitting, since Juliet is Donna Andrews’ favorite wild bear. But Lynn stuck with Sue to keep things simple. Juliet’s cubs are named.

Meanwhile, the BBC crew filmed Gordon Buchanan and his beautiful family at the Bear Center—great for the Bear Center. The documentary should come out early in 2011.

This evening, Lynn and Gordon will make another attempt to radio-collar little Hope. Lynn hopes that Hope will not hold it against him for grabbing her off a tree and stuffing her in a pet carrier to reunite her with Lily a month and a day ago. That seems so long ago. Lynn hopes it seems a long ago to Hope, too. If he is successful in radio-collaring Hope tonight, it will be a testimony to the forgiving nature of black bears and a step toward solving the mystery of where and how Hope spends her days.

Thank you for your support for our research and education.

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

Confirmation of a documentary!! Woohoo! Something else to look forward to watching in 2011!!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6433666&op=1&view=all&subj=462753974477&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=462753974477&id=263755115498

And very good news from a status update:

June 27, 2010 (10:28 PM CDT) Lynn radio-collared Hope about 9:40 PM--too dark for pictures. This begins a new chapter of solving the mystery of where she goes and what she does.

Phew, I do feel she's safer with that on now. They will know where she is. I'm intrigued to read about how easy, or hard, it was to put it on her!!

good news for Hope and for everyone so they can find out what's going on.

Thanks for updating us Anne-Marie

Lai