Juliet's 3 cubs Activity in Juliet’s den is heating up. We wonder if her 3 cubs are beginning to claim their own nipples. It sure sounds like that could be the case!
Yesterday in Juliet’s den, the suspense was a cub crawling along Juliet’s side, crying, and trying to find its way back to the warmth under its mother. Juliet continued breathing steadily and didn’t raise her head. Her breaths were different from Holly’s. Starting at 5 PM, Juliet took 11-13 seconds to inhale and exhale (average 12.0) and paused only 9-12 seconds (10.7 seconds average) before taking the next breath, breathing 2.43 times per minute.
HollyThings are quieter in Holly’s den. She was completely buried in her straw. The only action was the straw rising and falling as she breathed. Being easily entertained, we got into that. She inhaled and exhaled in 7-8 seconds (ave. = 7.5 seconds), paused 12-20 seconds (ave. = 18.0 seconds), and took her next breath, breathing only 2.35 times per minute. Holly became more active later in the day as this video will show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNZL8JtqHIo.
Holly pops upWe’re looking forward to comparing Juliet’s daily time budget with those of Lily and Jewel. The Den-watchers will know best, but it seems to us that 10-year-old Juliet is calmer and more restful that the other two.
Juliet and cubLily Fans might have noticed the jump of $72,864.29 in the Bear Center thermometer last evening. A staff member had noticed that 3 big donations needed to be added to the thermometer—the GiveMN check for $49,419 (deposited December 16), the GiveMN award check for $11,500 (deposited December 18), and the Eveleth Bear donation of $11,244 (deposited January 27). New staff procedures will ensure the timely addition of future donations of this kind. A big thank you to all who made this support possible.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.