June somersaults - 09-26-2005In this 1¾-minute video clip from September 26, 2005, June and her cubs Pete and George engage in typical raucous play https://youtu.be/7U2YnnWnxJ0. Pete was the cub that did most of the play with June. Different personalities between Pete and George. Pete’s antics earned him many names—Sneaky Pete, Playful Pete, Pesky Pete, Persistent Pete, and even Precocious Pete for mating with his Aunt Juliet when he was only 2.
Most play looks like play fighting, and it might be practice for an important survival skill. It looks rough with all the biting and fast movements, but in reality it’s gentle—although some of the bites are more than feel good to human skin. But most bears love it, and adolescent bears (usually not siblings) often hang out together for days at a time to engage in it.
After June disengaged with a reverse somersault, George came on the scene and became Playful Pete’s target. George, being less playful, soon retreated.
As playful as Pete was as a cub, one might think he would be more accepting of touch than most, but he never wore a radio-collar because he would not tolerate our touch. When he grew into a 500-pound bear, he mellowed out a bit; but by then his neck was too big, compared to his head, to easily wear a radio-collar.
No word on the Bill. The legislature is in recess through April 7.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center