ARCHIVED WILDLIFE

kittenface · **Posted:** Sun May 30, 2010 2:16 am

NO this can't be happening to these 2 its just not fair :sosad2

eiguoc · **Posted:** Sun May 30, 2010 9:16 am

I'm saying little prayers for them

Beth · **Posted:** Sun May 30, 2010 10:41 am

I thought we were on the road with no problems but not so...
Appreciate all the updates and reports.

eiguoc · **Posted:** Sun May 30, 2010 11:26 am

Hope seems a littler perkier this morning, She readily ate the formula we brought & some pecans. SM

LeeLee · **Joined:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:54 pm **Posts:** 471

At this point, Hope is alive, and if need be, I am hoping they would take her and rehab until she can be returned to Lily, if Lily would accept her back after a couple weeks or whatever was needed. How long does Hope need milk? Is it so long that after that point Lily would not take her back? Dont they stay with their moms for a few years, learning from them, etc long after stopping the nursing? Is it a possibility to return her? She is soooo beautiful and special, and even if it meant Lily wouldnt take her back, I would want them to snatch her and save her. Poor precious Hope, it is horrible to think of her as passive or weak because her natural healthy personality is strong, independent, curious, and non=stop. I hope they take her before she reaches a point of no return. PLEASE, we love our little Hope. :beathrt:

eiguoc · **Posted:** Mon May 31, 2010 10:10 am

Hope Improves
May 30, 2010 – 8:36 PM CDT

Lily and Hope - May 30, 2010

What a wonderful resource Lily’s fans are! Again, you all pulled together and came up with good help. Many people came up with great suggestions and your outpouring of concern and offers of help have been heartwarming.

Among the suggestions was a formula that simulates high-fat bear milk. Nearly all the ingredients were available in this small town. We were at the store this morning when it opened to buy canned goat’s milk (and we may be able to get fresh goat’s milk eventually) plus heavy cream, egg yolks, plain yogurt, fish oil, calcium carbonate, Vitamin B complex, and Vitamin C.

We were all worried that Hope was too weak to follow Lily after what we saw yesterday. When we saw on the computer this morning that Lily had moved nearly four tenths of a mile, we wondered if Hope was with her. You can imagine our relief when a perkier Hope bounced into view behind her. Could the cup and a half of sweetened condensed milk last evening have made such a difference?

Lily came over, with shy Hope came cautiously behind. She saw the same container she drank from last night and timidly came up beside Lily to check it out. She loved the new formula!

We were immensely relieved to see the difference in Hope’s zip today. Last evening, she could barely support her weight climbing a short way up a tree. Today, a sound startled Hope and Lily and they both shot up a tree about 15 feet.

Hope and Lily Playing - May 30, 2010

Hope was more improved on our second visit this afternoon. After drinking as much formula as she wanted, Hope followed Lily 30 feet away where Lily sat down in the nursing position and Hope nursed. She couldn’t have gotten much milk. Lily’s breasts are now smaller and mostly empty except for the hard lumps inside, but the fact they were trying and the fact a small amount of milk was visible, makes us hopeful Lily will increase lactation. We are hoping the lumps in her breasts don’t turn into mastitis. A helpful lactation specialist today figured the lumps were the result of plugged milk ducts, and this can sometimes turn into mastitis.

We are so much more optimistic. Yesterday Hope was lethargic—lying around moaning and whining. Today she was playful—interested in objects to manipulate and initiating play with Lily once again. She has life in her eyes and seems almost her old self, although emaciated.

We will continue to bring Hope formula a couple times a day to the extent possible as long as she needs it. Hope has a strong appetite. She has teeth and is beginning to eat solid wild foods, which is normal for her age. This cub is going to make it.

kittenface · **Posted:** Mon May 31, 2010 11:27 am

Such great news these are very special people that are doing this I
sure hope they realize this

Beth · **Posted:** Mon May 31, 2010 12:24 pm

Wonderful news...the village is making a difference (!)

LeeLee · **Joined:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:54 pm **Posts:** 471

What a great ending to my holiday weekend, to read this news of Hope. I am ecstatic. Does anyone know, how long does Hope need the milk? What beautiful pictures of them together, almost like a parent holding their child over their head, showing them off! I am sooo smitten with our little Hope and even my 5 yr old neice is crazy about her. I am hoping the emotional rollercoaster ride is over now, and Hope can go on with bear cub stuff, like being curious, and playful, and feisty, making those grunting sounds, and shreiks when she doesnt get her way! Thanks for the updates. What a day! :thumbegg:

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Goat’s Milk Galore

May 31, 2010 – 8:07 PM CDT

We are so relieved to see little Hope doing better. Thanks to you all for help.

Today, Hope got as much formula as she wanted plus grapes, banana chips, and Pedialyte. This morning, the formula was made with canned goat’s milk. This evening, it was made with fresh goat’s milk. A happy family from Wisconsin drove up hundreds of dollars worth of fresh and frozen goat’s milk for Hope—gallons of it. Enough for the duration. Still not as good as real bear milk, but as good as one can do. To the goat’s milk we add; heavy cream, egg yolks, fish oil, olive oil, plain yogurt, calcium carbonate, vitamins B and C. .

More food is coming, and Hope will be increasing her consumption of wild foods. Meal worms are on order plus herbs and hormones to unplug Lily’s milk ducts and stimulate lactation. Lily is being motherly, nurturing, and playful with Hope. Physically and behaviorally, she is not showing any sign of estrus. Each day we are more confident of the outcome. Our goal is to give Hope the best chance of life with Lily in the wild. The expert advice we are getting on rejuvenating Lily’s lactation is to give Hope the best food we can and enough of it to give her strength to nurse vigorously to maximally stimulate lactation. We are encouraged to see Hope take the formula and then nurse vigorously as the experts hoped. Even a little bear milk will make a difference in her health. Our goal is for Lily to again become the main source of nutrition. Today, I thought some of the lumps in Lily’s breasts were softer.

Thank you to the many experts who provided the latest data on dealing with this kind of crisis.

I can hear the critics who think we should have done nothing. That would have meant we would not have found Hope. The likelihood of them finding each other after 5 days apart was practically nil. Hope likely would have died alone and unseen. We wouldn’t have known if she were sick or simply starving.

If we did nothing, we would have learned practically nothing from her disappearance and death. There is much to learn from her life. We already have. And as time goes on, we are narrowing the possibilities of why Lily went on her walkabout.

Thank you for your contributions and help.

—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, North American Bear Center

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Does it ever end?????

This poor mom & cub need a break

*************************************************************************

Drama in the Woods

May 31, 2010 – 11:15 PM CDT

Lynn handed off the previous update to me just before I headed out to bring Hope her first formula made from the fresh goat’s milk. I wanted to get out to her before dark so I figured the update could wait. I located Lily and Hope at a large aspen tree where they were bedded.

I gave Lily a few nuts to keep her busy while I fed Hope. Hope loved the new formula! She also ate all of the cottage cheese—though I think she was really looking for more of the grapes I had mixed in it.

When Lily finished the nuts she roamed around a bit while Hope was finishing up. Then suddenly Lily came rushing back to the bed tree grunting in concern. Hope leapt for the tree and climbed high. Lily stood up against the tree grunting and looking off into the woods. We were not alone.

At first I wondered if there was a person walking along a nearby trail, and then I heard the grunting of another bear. We think of grunting as a friendly sound – but Lily seemed frightened. I could see another bear approaching in the growing darkness. It was a collared bear but I could not see well enough to identify it. I ran through a few frequencies on the telemetry receiver and found it was Lily’s mother June. Lily ran off huffing.

June followed Lily – still grunting. I could hear thrashing of brush and huffing. I monitored their signals as the strength of both decreased as the bears moved away.

I stayed near Hope’s tree, waiting for Lily to return. When I realized that wasn’t going to happen any time soon, I picked my way out of the woods in the dark and headed back to the field station.

As I write this (11:20 PM) Lily is resting nearly a mile away from the Hope’s tree. June is resting 0.35 miles from Lily and 0.63 miles from Hope. I am thankful for the GPS units that give me these locations.

Hope is alone once more. What does this all mean?

There are those reading this that will condemn me for not staying near Hope’s tree. Suffice it to say that I did what I thought best at the time. I can better monitor Lily and June from here. I feel Hope is safe as long as she stays in the tree. Hope is in an area this time that she is very familiar with – unlike last time when she was left in a totally unfamiliar area. Fortunately Hope had eaten quite a bit before Grandma June showed up.

The rollercoaster ride continues for us all. We could all use a break but it just doesn’t let up.

—Sue Mansfield, Biologist, North American Bear Center

Facebook Update from 6/1/10:

Lily the Black Bear June 1, 2010 - 7:30 AM
I returned to the tree Hope was in last night -- but she is no longer there. Hope has gone missing again. Hopefully she will remain in the general area so we can find her. -- SM

kittenface · **Posted:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 10:52 am

This is nuts can't these 2 get a break? Grandma just had to go and screw things up :roll:

Beth · **Posted:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 12:22 pm

Gosh, I just can't believe this...Thanks for the updates

LeeLee · **Joined:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:54 pm **Posts:** 471

Are you kidding me? They left Hope alone AGAIN? These people dont deserve other people's hard working money for sure. Are they ****? How many times does Hope have to be left alone? Maybe June is not allowing Lily and her cub into this area or whatever? If Lily is running away from June, what do you think? I am once again DISGUSTED to see them leave Hope alone. It now appears to me that Hope is a by product to them, and their main priority is the collared mom Lily ONLY. Otherwise anyone smart would have stayed with the UNCOLLARED bear cub. They are making me ****. I wouldnt give these people a cent at this point. And these people have degrees in biology? Sorry, but I am so disgusted I cant even believe she left the cub alone for the second time. WHAT DID YOU THINK THE OUTCOME ONCE AGAIN MIGHT BE? "IF she stays in the tree she will be ok" well here is a news flash, she didnt stay in the tree last time, and wont this time either, hello. These people JUST DONT GET IT. They are literally making me **** THEY DONT DESERVE HOPE.

eiguoc · **Posted:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:45 pm

Lily the Black Bear
June 1, 2010 - 7:30 AM
I returned to the tree Hope was in last night -- but she is no longer there. Hope has gone missing again. Hopefully she will remain in the general area so we can find her. -- SM7 hours ago

kittenface · **Posted:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:48 pm

LeeLee it was 11:30 at night when they left her, they probably couldn't see her or it could have been dangerous withe grandma there they must have a good reason we just have to wait and see now its so hard yes but?

Beth · **Posted:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 5:09 pm

I agree Kitten that Sue did what she thought best at the time...We needed to remember:

*Respect & Tolerance*

For everyone working towards the common goal, helping wildlife the best we can
with the knowledge available...

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Facebook update:

Lily the Black Bear June 1, 2010 - 3:44 PM
Still no sign of Hope. Lily traveled a considerable distance away but is now headed in the general direction of the area she left Hope. We are holding our breath -- hoping Lily will return and locate Hope. -- SM

**********************************

It sounds like Lily's separation from Hope was to protect her and get away from her mother. I thought for sure poor little Hope would have learned the first time to stay put. I hope this has a good ending, but if June keeps showing up, I wonder if this will become a regular occurrence? Unfortunately for Hope, she was probably just starting to get her strength back!

:calm

kittenface · **Posted:** Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:06 pm

mwplay wrote:

Facebook update:

Lily the Black Bear June 1, 2010 - 3:44 PM
Still no sign of Hope. Lily traveled a considerable distance away but is now headed in the general direction of the area she left Hope. We are holding our breath -- hoping Lily will return and locate Hope. -- SM

**********************************

It sounds like Lily's separation from Hope was to protect her and get away from her mother. I thought for sure poor little Hope would have learned the first time to stay put. I hope this has a good ending, but if June keeps showing up, I wonder if this will become a regular occurrence? Unfortunately for Hope, she was probably just starting to get her strength back!

:calm

I was thinking the same thing about Hope fianally getting feisty again and now this
(postitive thoughts)

LeeLee · **Joined:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:54 pm **Posts:** 471

So sorry kittenface bcaw had to censor my comment. As far as being safe, I thought June went and followed Lily. At this point, I feel that 'getting closer to finding out why Lily left Hope' should be taking a back seat to Hope's survival. I dont care if we ever find out why, if it means Hope is taken and rehabbed back to good health, and if possible reunited with Lily or whatever they do at that point. If I offended any moderators or viewers, I apologize. I will read to find out the outcome of Hope, but do not plan to watch their cub cam again or comment again.

Bird Cams Around the World

ARCHIVED WILDLIFE

Who is online