The drought that has created so many fires is now drying up the wild bear foods that were doing great when we checked them earlier. The fruits are now drying up on the plants. The sarsaparilla plants we’ve been watching did not produce any flowers, therefore no fruit. The raspberries are drying up. The dogwoods that had beautiful flowers that became lots of green berries have mostly fallen off and dried up. Around the WRI there are not many blueberries. Most are tiny and drying up.
Fewer wild foods means more bears and more birds here. Happy bears are becoming quiet play-buddies.
Little 10-year-old Lucy doesn’t want competition and bravely chases off much larger males by rushing at them and making the throaty pulsing sound that makes them run.
Mothers with cubs stay near big white pines for refuge.
It’s going to be a year of unusual learning for bears and course participants. And we will be saving the lives of many bears by keeping them out of trouble.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
Lorie Kennedy, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute