Ray and Rose ThielbarIn this 2-minute video clip from April 17, 2009, June gnaws at a speckled alder. It’s not unusual to find bitten trees around bear bed sites, but we don’t know why they do it. Here June sites in her bed at the base of twin tamarack trees and repeatedly bites the alder in the same spot. I was waiting to see it topple, and at one point June pushed on it above the bitten area, but it didn’t topple and June lost interest. We still don’t know why they gnaw trees and bushes around their bed sites. http://youtu.be/8Pb80jGwLJg
At the Bear Center, Scott is freshening things up with fresh paint and creativity. I’m waiting to see what he does with the Photo Gallery which has become a pet project of his. He and Glenn made new rustic wooden signs for the bathrooms and to point the way to the viewing balcony. He collaborated with Ray and Rose Thielbar to carve rustic signs for the 2 theater doors. Here Ray and Rose sit with one of their signs that Scott put up today.
Theater SignSoon a sign will go up over the archway into the new Northwoods Ecology Hall. We like the nice touch of these beautiful signs.
On the bill, there has been no visible movement.
A narrated video entitled “Can Food Lead Bears Out of Trouble” gives insight into diversionary feeding, habituation, and food-conditioning at http://www.bearstudy.org/website/publications/videos/ 1415-diversionary-feeding-can-food-lead-black-bears-out-of-trouble.html.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center