Lily and Hope - The Black Bear and Cub

Thanks for the link Anne-Marie

i'm waiting in trepidation for tomorrow's update

Lai

Thank you for the update Anne-Marie, like the rest of you my tummy turns over when I go to read these threads. I wondered yesterday if this was behaviour they hadn't recorded before but might be natural to the bears, I don't know, i'm as confused as I was when I posted yesterday, I just pray that little Hope is ok and that she will be reunited with Lily......lets hope tomorrows news is better.

littlewid-x-

Update from 2nd June

Hope is alive

This morning, we thought Hope had no chance. We knew yesterday’s rain soaked her and thought last night’s near-freezing temperatures probably weakened or killed her. And Lily is foraging miles away and not looking for Hope. No one has seen Hope for almost two days, and she was emaciated to start with. We thought there was a good chance she had died.

But what if she is still alive? We kept looking. Hard.

At 12:30 PM, we spotted her crossing a road in an area she knows well—the area where she was captured on May 26. She was hurrying across a gravel road walking away from a tree she had frequently used with Lily. We hurried to the spot where she entered the woods and went in, trying to scare her up a tree, but we saw nothing more. She was headed generally toward the area where she and Lily spent the most time this spring. We searched there. It’s very possible she will remain in the area long enough to find the supplemental food we’ve put out. Our goal is to give her the best chance for life in the wild. This is also scientifically the best option. There are various kinds of research. Most of ours is observe and report. There also is experimental research to test hypotheses. Intervening as we did with Hope and Lily is the latter type of research. Putting Hope back with Lily tested several hypotheses about why they separated. More on that later. Our first thought is Hope’s survival at this point.

Here are the options as we see it with the current information.


1.Not intervene. Let nature take its course. It is surprising how many advocates of this feel it is okay to kill a bear but not okay to help one live. We know from studies across America that cubs of Hope’s age die without help. She may die anyway, but we feel we should try to help because it is the right thing to do and because from a scientific standpoint there is more to learn from Hope’s life than from her death.


2.Return Hope to Lily again. This assumes we could catch her before she dies. If we did, would Lily stay with Hope any better the next time? And by the time we might catch Hope, would Lily have any milk? We feel the time for this option has passed.


3.Totally intervene. Put Hope in captivity and give her intravenous feedings. This again assumes we could catch her before she dies. A problem with this is that we don’t have the authority to put her in captivity; she belongs to the State of Minnesota. Assuming that a rehab facility was found that has room for her and that permission were granted to place her there, tranquilizing her for intravenous feedings could threaten her life, and restraining her for that would be traumatic. Finally, not all rehabbed bears are released into the wild. If she were not released, it is possible she could be placed in the North American Bear Center’s world-class forested enclosure with Ted, Honey, and Lucky. This would mean the Center would draw big crowds, reduce its debt, and educate more people about bears. But we are thinking of Hope. She deserves life in the wild. We are also thinking of science and education. Hope has more to offer science and education as a free-ranging bear than as a captive bear.


4.Attempt to supplement her food in the wild. The fact that she is in an area she knows probably means she will remain there and find the bowls of formula we have begun placing where she and Lily have spent time in the past. This is the plan most likely to get high quality formula into her as soon as possible. It is very labor intensive, but we feel it gives the best chance of survival for Hope and, if successful, will be best for her in the long run—living wild and free. The supplemental feedings should become less frequent—the same as nursing becomes less frequent—as she eats more and more natural foods. This early spring is bringing on the berries early. Blueberries are almost full size already and need only to ripen. Strawberries already are ripe (and abundant in the area where Hope was seen). Ant pupae should be extra abundant following this warm, dry spring. Hope needs only to gain back her strength to take advantage of the wild food. We want to give her a helping hand. If we eventually can catch her, we’ll fit her with a tiny radio-collar to learn more about her life.

Nothing we can do assures her survival. But we feel option 4 gives her the best chance of survival and quality of life, given the information we have now. In the process, she may provide research information that can help other bears. New information tomorrow could change things. We’ll be out looking and placing food. Many others are looking, too.

Thank you for your major help toward the unbelievable 2 to 1 matching offer.

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

Lai

Oh my!

This is just heartbreaking. I think they have explained the situation very well as, even though Im a Lily and Hope fan, the 'natural order of things' person in me is also saying do not intervene.

Thanks for the update Lai.

SM

I went to bed last night knowing that Hope had been spotted and I was praying that they would find her. First thing I did this morning was check on facebook. So sad that they couldn't find her part of me is now thinking though, it is nature. Lily definitely lost her the first time, but this time has she even gone back to look? Oh it really is to sad, we've all followed that gorgeous little family even before it was two of them.

Facebook update:

Lily the Black Bear June 3, 2010 - 8:44 AM CDT
2 of the 4 feeding stations we set up for Hope were empty this morning. This is encouraging. We are looking for trail cams to monitor them to see if it is really Hope coming to them

As some one has commented on the facebook feed, if she does survive through this by herself. What happens when it comes to hibernating this winter. Would she be able to? Being small still? Oh the worry that little bear cub gives us.

A good point, should they really be interferring by feeding Hope? I know i would, but is this nature at it's harshest?

Lai

Not sure how much more we can take AM.

Poor Hope she has so much still ahead of her if she is still alive.

Thanks for the update.

SM

Doogs - it's Lily the Black Bear

Lai

I agree completely Lai. I could 100% understand when they were going to put her back with Lily, now they aren't doing that are they delaying the inevitable and making it even harder if she doesn't make it?

Certainly nature at its harshest. Does anyone know if Lily was particular young to have a cub? Maybe too young and not quite ready to have a cub. I don't doubt that she was a fantastic mum because seeing them together was an absolute pleasure.

Doogs, in case you haven't found it: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/lily.the.black.bear?ref=ts

Missing bear cub spotted; researchers call it a new chapter in research
Wed, 06/02/2010 - 9:58pm Human Interest Outdoors Iron Range & Itasca Co.

By Beth Jett and photojournalist Adam Jagunich, FOX 21 News
ELY - An encouraging development came Wednesday afternoon around 12:30. A volunteer in Ely reported seeing Hope, the famous black bear cub born in front of a webcam in January, running across a road and into an area familiar to her. Hope has been missing since Monday night when her mother, Lily, left her to get away from another bear.
Dr. Lynn Rogers and his staff are baffled at what they call a brand new chapter in bear study.
Wednesday, Rogers spent hours putting out formula and treats in places familiar to Hope. He is trying to lure her back closer to the area where she and Lily spent a lot of time, so he can make sure Hope is surviving as an orphan.
"A cub without a mother," said Rogers. "That can teach us so much about what mothers teach them and what is instinctive." Rogers calls is uncharted territory for bear research and says he's learning new things about bear behavior every day. "I've never had a situation like this in my 44 years of research. All the previous stuff has been watch and report, but now is a chance to do a different kind of science to answer different kinds of questions."
While his efforts earn him emotional praise from nearly 100,000 fans online, he continues to draw criticism for interfering with nature. "People seem to think it's okay to kill a bear but not to help a bear live," Rogers said in response. Others believe he should capture Hope and put her in a safe place, such as the North American Bear Center. "I have no right to put this bear in captivity. This bear is owned by the state of Minnesota, not by me," Rogers explained. "The best I can do legally is give her a good chance at life in the wild."
Meanwhile, the manager of Zup's in Ely, says people who have been following the saga have donated more than $1,000 to the Zup's Food Market, so Rogers and his colleagues can buy whatever they need for all of the bears they work with.
For now, Rogers is counting on Hope to find the food he's left around for her. He expects Lily and Hope have split for good, since Lily has been moving farther away. Rogers wants to make sure Hope has a fighting chance at life, so he can continue to learn from her. "This is a brand new topic that nobody has any data on," Rogers said, standing by the accuracy of the data he has collected over his career.
Based on how fast Hope was running Wednesday, as described by the volunteer who said he saw her, researchers believe she's in good shape. And she's just about the age to begin foraging on natural foods in the woods.
From: http://www.fox21online.com/news/update-hope-spotted-researchers-call-it-new-chapter-research

Thanks for the latest Anne-Marie. I don't know what to think

Lai

Wow this is a tough one isn't it. My thoughts for what they are worth are research is a tough business. I completely understand the connection they have with Hope and the natural instinct to want to help her survive, as they say, it's ok to kill a bear but not ok to help them live.
But their aim on keeping Hope alive seems to have two purposes, one is to save a much loved bear cub and give her a good start to surviving on her own, but yes hibernation could be a problem as Hope probably wouldn't have the fat stores to survive hibernation.

Secondly, it appears that maybe the main aim to keeping Hope alive is for research purposes, this draws me into thinking about how much love their is for Hope against their love for the research.
Of course all research is important but not when it is to the detriment of an animal and as much as I dearly love little Hope and wished things had turned out different for her and Lily, I do not support the kind of research that out weighs the true natural course of an animals life, especially if in the end the outcome is to come to a negative conclusion.

I'm not saying that they shouldn't try and give Hope the best of chances to survive, I just think they have to be sure they are doing it for the right reasons and that means for Hope, not for their own gain of learning something new that they may not be able to prevent happening again in the future for another mother and cub.

it's a tough world we live in and research has it's good and bad ethics, all i'm saying is that I hope their ethics on this one are for all the right reasons. I would love Hope to survive and grow into a big healthy bear who one day has her own cubs but not if she is being used as a research tool that the findings may never be able to support other abandoned cubs in the future.

If I was actually in this situation what would I do......god knows, it's a tough one, I just hope I would make the right decision based on all the facts I had at hand and knew were true.

if I remember rightly, in the beginning I think they did say that Lily was a young mum.

Sorry for spouting on and I don't intend to upset anyone on the forum, they are just my thoughts right here and now and my heart just goes out to Hope, I wish the situation was different.

littlewid-x-

I agree with you 100% LW, which is what makes it so tough! I love that little Hope dearly but is this really in her best interests. Oh so hard!

I think we probably all agree, perhaps nature should be allowed to take it's course.

Lai

Latest updates:

Was it Hope?

Two of the four containers of formula in Hope’s area were licked clean last night. Was it Hope? One was at the last place Lily and Hope were together. The other was at a big white pine where Lily and Hope spent much time this spring.


Lynn placing food for Hope near a bed tree. Notice the trail camera to the left.
The best way to tell if it’s Hope is with a trail cam. We mentioned that this morning on Facebook and discovered again the power of Lily and Hope’s fans. A caring couple purchased seven trail cameras and a volunteer drove an hour each way to get them to us. We configured and deployed 4 of them this evening. Hopefully we have them set up right and will have some answers to the identity of the formula-slurpers tomorrow. When we went out to set them up we found the same 2 containers had again been disturbed. One had been licked clean and the other had been pulled out of its hole and tipped over. We filled them with fresh formula and added pecans and banana chips.

You all are taking great care of little Hope. You sent nuts that are helping. You set up an account at Zup’s Grocery Store in Ely to pay for her food. You have the trail cams on the way, and you are generously helping to secure the $100,000 2 for 1 matching grant.

Meanwhile, adult females are traveling widely. That’s what Lily’s mother June was doing on Monday evening when she encountered Lily, leading to the separation. June was friendly but Lily was scared. Now Lily is traveling far outside anywhere we ever found her. We assume all this travel is to explore possibilities for territorial expansion. Dot was noteworthy in her travels a couple days ago. She traveled nearly 3 miles outside her territory, bumping into Ely and turning back. On the way, both ways, she passed through the Bear Center property a mile outside Ely. Later, we checked, and she had christened our nature trail with her tracks. Dot is a 10-year-old cousin of Lily’s. Both are grand-daughters of 20-year-old Shadow.

Someone wondered how little Hope would make a den this fall without Lily. The mothers usually make the dens, and the cubs help a little. Our past studies of orphaned cubs showed that cubs instinctively make dens about as good as the mother could make. The paper that talks about that is “Aiding the wild survival of orphaned black bear cubs” in the Journal of Wildlife Rehabilitation, 1985:104-111. http://www.bearstudy.org/website/images/stories/Publications/Aiding_the_Wild_Survival_of_Orphaned_Bear_Cubs.pdf.

Thank you for your contributions and all the help.

So cubs can make dens, but the question is will her fat stores be great enough to keep her warm during hibernation. Obviously she would have relied on Lily a lot.

FB status update:

Lily the Black BearJune 3, 2010 (10:01 PM CDT) Lily is currently in the midst of June's territory... and June is in the midst of Donna's territory. Whatever is going on here?

Thank you for the further updates Anne-Marie, there are new twists everyday. It is interesting to know that cubs can make dens as good as their mothers do but again as you say, will Hope have the fat stores to see hibernation through. You just so wish that none of this had happened.

littlewid-x-

Facebook status update:

Lily the Black Bear June 4th, 2010 (8:38 AM CDT) Hope is alive and looking good! More details later in the update

I really have no idea what to feel, I'm so happy she's alive and strong, but she needs her mum, if nature was left to take its course ... argh! if only Lily had just stayed with her the second time!!