Sharon wrote a great review of 2016.
As 2016 comes to an end, I am reflecting back on the year and think about how blessed I am to be a part of a great team and most of all, to play a part in the care of our four Ambassador bears.
Visiting pine marten
The year in review…
As the winter months in 2016 lingered on, Holly kept Scott and Heidi busy as she monkeyed with the cam. Holly and Lucky were active on most days, chewing on footpads, playing, swatting at “Vinnie the Vole” and raking straw to fluff their beds. Holly and Lucky had some “toys” to keep them busy, a food bowl, some sticks, and a paper bag from one of their “meals to go”. Our viewers love watching their antics on the live cam.
Lucky and Holly were first to come out of hibernation on March 19th. Ted came out ten days later on March 29th. Honey was last to come out on April 16th.
April 27, 2016 was a very sad day for all as we mourned the loss of Honey bear; our beautiful 20 year-old cinnamon phase black bear. She was a sweetheart. She stole the hearts of thousands of visitors, her loving family, pond chatters, and all those who cared for her. We cherished the special moments we spent with her; she is gone but will forever be in our hearts.
In late May, as we were dusting ourselves off from the loss of Honey, we prepared for a busy summer season. The new interns and Bear Educators arrived and were in training and learning each of our bear's individual personalities. We were delighted to see many familiar Bear Educators return and welcomed several new Bear Educators. The intern’s first order of business (aka their initiation) was to clean out the large bunker den where Holly and Lucky hibernated. Caring for our bears is a big job!
Holly and Lucky were “an item” throughout mating season. We rarely saw one without the other. Although Lucky is neutered, it didn’t change his instinct to follow Holly.
Pine marten femaleThe month of June brought us a very special and unexpected delight, Tasha. She was a little yearling from Kentucky that needed an immediate permanent home. With the help of some very dedicated volunteers, Tasha arrived the evening of June 6th. The sweet little bear never fussed or tried to get out during her whole trip from Kentucky. Her quiet calm demeanor was quite different from Holly’s. Tasha is hibernating in the dug den Holly made in 2014. You can read Tasha’s story here http://www.bear.org/website/the-nabc/meet-our-bears/tashas-page.html.
We also celebrated the bears’ half birthday in June with special treats and piñatas for the bears. We thank everyone who participated and donated towards bear food.
July and August flew by! Our interns and Bear Educators worked very hard all season; they did an outstanding job in caring for our bears, doing podcasts, talking with visitors, and leading our very popular behind-the-scene tours. We were sad to see them leave; we know they had a great summer experience. We wish the interns all the best in their future endeavors.
Our sweet Ted was the star of the behind-the-scene tours. Ted showed visitors just how timid and gentle black bears really are. Ted is our morning bear and spent time in the pond observation area most mornings. He always let us know when it was time to return to his enclosure. He enjoyed his new big blue pool that was purchased by his family. Later in the fall when the pool was dumped, Ted used it as a resting spot for his tremendous paws. All of our visitors were in awe of Ted and I suspect all his fans on Pond Chat think he’s pretty special too.
Red squirrelIn late September we prepared the dens for hibernation and quickly saw Holly and Lucky move into fall transition. Each step she or Lucky took seemed to be taxing for them. Tasha, still wanting to play, found it difficult to entice Holly or Lucky to chase her. She initiated play several times but Lucky said, “no” and Holly said, “go away“. Ted was the last bear to hibernate; he finally tucked himself into the Chalet den on November 18th.
Denning time is always a sad time for us, we know the long winter is ahead and we will miss our bears. We don’t choose when they go into hibernation, one day they are out and the next day they are hunkered down in their den of choice. We were very surprised when Tasha followed suit and denned on October 26th. We thought she might den much later because of her southern genes. All of our bears will quietly celebrate their birthdays in January. Ted, will turn 20, Lucky 10, Holly 4, and Tasha will turn 2.
The year has now come to an end and we all look forward to spring of 2017. The NABC will celebrate its 10th year anniversary in May; and we are expecting another fantastic year.
We wish you all the very best in the New Year and want to thank you for all of your support. A big thank you from Ted, Lucky, Holly, Tasha and myself for making 2016 amazing!
Sharon Herrell, Bear Curator
Amazing is also the word for the rest of the Bear Center. With help and donations from Lily Fans we are heading into our 10th anniversary year having advanced far beyond what anyone would have thought. With the makeover nearly complete, we are living up to our Trip Advisor title of Number One Destination in Ely and our Great Nonprofits title of a Top Rated Non-profit according to Great Nonprofits. The new log entrance and nearly completed log pavilion gives us more of an inviting, rustic look from the highway. Inside one is immediately greeted by the popular new forested Camping Exhibit that will have birds, other wildlife, and nature sounds by spring. Six incredible interns and many gracious Bear Educators endeared the Bear Center to visitors both inside and on the very popular Behind-the-Scenes Tours that happened almost every hour. To maximize that in 2017, we are planning for 8 interns. To apply to be an intern or to sponsor 2017 interns, go to http://www.bear.org/website/how-to-help/2017-internship-program-funding/donate-now-2017-internship-program-funding.html. And we finally have Planned Giving in place for those who want to become part of the Legacy Fund that will assure more growth over the years. For more on that, check out http://www.bear.org/website/planned-giving.html.
As the year comes to an end, we all have a lot to thank each other for in making the Bear Center what it is. We’re all pulling together for a sustainable future of educating for bears.
Out the window at the Wildlife Research Institute, the pine marten put in her appearance for a moment of excitement.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center