Donna - with new cubs this year!15-year-old Donna has four cubs again, her second litter of four in a row. She brought them into Glenn and Nancy’s yard where she feels safe, put them up a big pine, and dozed off at the base. Nothing like a good baby-sitter tree to free mom for a nap. Nancy and Glenn said all four were small and the same size. Donna’s previous litter of four had two small ones and two larger ones. All survived.
Donna and her two cubsGlenn and Nancy are now waiting to see how prolific two of Donna’s daughters and one of her granddaughters will be. 10-year-old Shannon, 6-year-old Star, and 4-year-old Wendy are all scheduled to have cubs. While we were talking, 12-year-old Colleen (another daughter of Donna), put in her first appearance. Glenn and Nancy are looking to see if Colleen still has her 3 yearlings with her or if they have gone through family breakup. We look forward to photographing these families whenever we can and with Black Bear Field Course participants in July and August. It’s the year of the cubs—potentially the biggest we’ve seen.
... and her two other cubs!Victor is busy chasing females. We remember how focused he was when he was here. Today he came through Glenn and Nancy’s yard in the same tracking mode we saw—his nose to the ground and not looking up as he hustled off into the woods. Earlier, he had been at Glenn and Nancy’s with Annie and with Summer (another of Donna’s granddaughters). Victor is a beautiful bear who has taken on character with his many scars from mating battles.
Things are happening. We look forward to this summer.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.