Bird Cams Around the World

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

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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!

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.

Why?

June 1, 2010 – 10:00 PM CDT

We don’t understand it. We’re all learning together.

It’s 9:15 PM, and we just finished searching around each of the three trees Lily and Hope used yesterday and the places they spent most of their spring. Sue searched most of these places this morning, too. We are desperate to find Hope. She is wet from the rain. Her skinny muscles cannot make much heat, and the temperature is dropping—now 52. Temperatures were in the 70’s when she was lost before. If she makes it through this night, she will be very weak tomorrow. We’ll keep looking. We haven't given up.

We’re trying to understand the minds of these bears. And we’re wondering how much of this is truly unusual and how much is due to our methods revealing more than we could see before.

In the earlier crisis (May 21), was it abnormal for Lily to be away 2 days before returning to where she left Hope, or was it abnormal for Hope to have left the tree where Lily safely left her? Lily still had milk when she returned to look for Hope on May 23, but Hope was gone.

Why did Lily leave for 2 days that time? Is she a bear that reacts more strongly to other bears being around? Is that why she remained in such small areas near secure refuge trees this spring, often spending entire days in areas less than 50 yards diameter?

In her earlier departure from Hope, it is likely a bear prompted her movement. Last night, it certainly was a bear that prompted her movement. Sue was there and saw it. Hope scampered high into a tree as an intruding bear approached. Although the intruding bear (June, Lily’s mother) was non-threatening—even friendly—from her sounds, Lily was scared. She huffed and moved a mile away.

That in itself was not abandoning Hope. Black bear mothers typically flee from danger, leaving their cubs to climb trees to safety. A difference between black bears and some other bears is that black bear cubs run to trees for safety while other bear cubs run away or to their mothers for safety.

This morning, after finding Hope missing, Sue visited Lily to assess her demeanor and look for any possible injuries. Lily was scared, unusually attentive to unidentified sounds. She was easily startled and frequently started up trees. Lily ignored Sue, of course. Sue is a trusted part of the woodwork. Was Lily worried that June was still around? June had followed Lily when Lily left Hope and the data suggest that they had another encounter this morning at Lily’s bed site a mile from Hope. June then moved nearly a mile southeast, leaving Lily nervous and skittish.

Why did Lily then move a mile north instead of returning east to Hope? Does her lack of milk reduce her urgency to return to Hope? When Lily is with Hope, she nurses her, plays with her, and keeps an eye out for her. Lily seems to truly enjoy Hope.

This past 24 hours is difficult to explain. We are at a loss.

We’re documenting Lily’s and Hope’s behavior. In the future, we’ll obtain detailed comparative data from other mothers with cubs and share that. We’re all learning together.

Thank you for the many ways you are helping with food for Hope, debt reduction, etc. The nuts you sent earlier were a godsend through the earlier crisis and as a distraction for Lily while we were recently feeding Hope.

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

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Just too darn sad

I'm very sorry to hear of this latest development. What I'm starting to wonder is--is Lily a bit off in the head? I got the impression from Sue's report that June wouldn't be a threat to Hope, but Lily acted like she thought June was a threat. I hope Hope & Lily can be reunited again (I guess). Or that Hope can be found & raised at the Bear Center until she's able to fend for herself.

I watched Bearwalker on National Geo back in April. It followed June (Lily's mother), right before and after family break-up. At that time, Lily was a yearling. After break-up, June found Lily in her territory, chased her and actually bit her. They've got this on tape and it was part of the documentary. So, Lily may remember that interaction and be afraid of June, regardless of how "friendly" her vocalizations may be?

I guess mother black bears share their territory with their daughters. June's daughters are Lily and Jewel (different litters) and she's already sharing her territory with both of them. If Hope makes it, Hope will get a part of that territory as well. June is collared, and they have seen her traveling far outside her territory this season. They are assuming June is trying to appropriate territory from a neighboring bear for her ever expanding family.

From Lily's Facebook page about 7:20AM PT/10:20AM ET


Lily the Black Bear Lily is on the move. We anxiously wait to see if she heads back towards where she left Hope. -- SM

You bet me to it.