Jewel - April 27, 2012Much to our relief, June’s GPS unit started transmitting locations last night—more than 9 hours after the batteries were replaced! All is well there.
Herbie and Fern - April 27, 2012
Juliet had tried to cross Highway 169 a few days ago, but her cubs wouldn’t follow. Last night about 7 PM, the cubs followed, and they all made it across safely. We picked names for Juliet’s cubs today. The BBC had to have names better than their unofficial Blackface, Lightface, and Black Lip for the first broadcast coming up in a week. We picked Sam, Sybil, and Sophie out of the blue with no more thought than having S-words like Juliet’s last litter (Sharon, Shirley, and A Boy Named Sue). The BBC said please no more J-words. June, Jewel, Juliet, JJ, Jo, Jim, Jani, etc., were enough to keep straight.
Sharon - April 27, 2012Sue spent over 3 hours videotaping Jewel today. Jewel tore apart a log for grubs, licked up snow fleas from the forest floor, ate some speckled alder leaf buds but tasted and rejected others. She is becoming more accustomed to being followed by an observer.
Herbie and Fern spent a lot of time playing. The closeness of these cubs is reminiscent of Hope and Faith and beyond what we’ve seen in most litters. Could they like each other and actually be looking out for each other at such a young age? Watch the second video below and see what you think.
More videos of Jewel and cubs from April 21 are posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge6Vty4N1kA and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui2hw9xGHKg.
We changed the batteries in Jo’s GPS unit—what a calm bear! We spotted Sharon and removed the gaudy ribbons we had put on her last fall. The rest of the world went by unnoticed today as we spent time with bears.
Volunteers are turning in their hours. The dedication is amazing in this continuing story.
All we can say is "Thank you for all you do."
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center