New Mom's cubs in treeToday’s story began last evening. Lynn drove out the driveway at 9:55 PM. Between 10:30 and 11 PM, Emma (from Wales) drove in and asked why an aluminum ladder was extended 25 feet up a big red pine beside the driveway. She correctly identified the kind of tree because they have them in the UK. When Lynn came to work this morning at 6:40 AM, the ladder was gone. The view from the ladder had been a view down a power line and a view down the driveway, both of which are traveled by bears. The tree had a No Trespassing sign. Was the person surprised by Emma? We don’t know if any bears were quietly taken with a bow or not.
It reminded us of a few years back when Big Lumpy was shot about 24 hours before bear season began.
We asked our neighbor 63 yards from the tree if they had seen or heard anything last night. They hadn’t . As we got talking with the neighbor’s wife, a runner, we asked about her experiences with bears. She said she has been running 6 to 9 miles every day from June 10 through August 31 for the last 9 years in the heart of the study area. That’s about 5,600 miles. She will try to recall how many bears she’s seen, but whatever the number, all retreated fast when they heard the gravel and/or saw her coming.
While mapping trails today, sharp-eyed participants spotted 2 cubs up a big red pine and the mother standing quietly 73 feet away, screened by bushes, and licking nervously. Through binoculars, we saw it was the New Mom we pictured last night. We moved on.
A hundred and forty feet farther, we smelled and then spotted a dead male cub lying in a position that suggested he lay down to rest. Maggots were only 4 mm long, which means he hadn’t been dead for more than a few days. We called 911 to ask permission to examine the cub for a cause of death. We were instructed to wait for a Conservation Officer to arrive in an hour or two.
We went back past the cubs, but the mother was out of sight. When the Conservation Officer arrived, we led him to the carcass. We agreed that the cub had likely been hit by a vehicle and somehow followed the mother a mile or more to this spot. The carcass was beyond salvage for taxidermy, so we left it to photograph repeatedly as nature reclaims its nutrients.
Some of the volunteers tearfully expressed their sadness about tomorrow but said they were thankful to be a part of it, this time of year we dread. We appreciate their support in getting through it.
A thank you to the volunteers who could come, to those who wanted to come, and those who have sent donations for food.
We look forward to celebrating the gains Lily Fans have made for bears, and the many friendships that were formed in the process, at the gathering this November 1st in Hinckley, MN. https://www.facebook.com/events/1453217258283352/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
Thank you all for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center