Black Bear Lily On The BearCam, BlackBerry Shots, Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 2010, DenCam provided by the NABC/WRI, photo snapshot 2010 by QuoinMonkey.
If you’ve never seen a wild black bear gently lick her paws, roll over in her den, or blow puffs of winter breath in sub-zero temperatures, Lily will change your life. I used to think hibernating bears went into their dens and peacefully slept all Winter. Nothing could be further from the truth.
On Friday January 8th, documentary veteran Doug Hajicek installed an Infra Red camera system into a black bear’s den near Ely, Minnesota. And not just any black bear. Her name is Lily. Three-year-old Lily is part of the long-term study of black bear ecology and behavior being conducted by Lynn Rogers at Ely’s Wildlife Research Institute, less than 30 miles from the Canadian border. Lily is the daughter of 9-year-old June, and it is believed that Lily is pregnant. There is an above average chance she will give birth in mid January.
The Full Moon in January, which I’ve often celebrated as the Wolf Moon, is sometimes known as the Bear Moon. Last week under the New Bear Moon, I listened to Cathy Wurzer interview Doug Hajicek on MPR. Then Liz and I started following Lily on Facebook. We also watched her on the Today Show. And have been reading bear facts at the North American Bear Center and checking in to Lily’s Bear Cam ever since.
No one has ever seen a wild bear give birth to cubs. Some mornings, I can’t take my eyes off the screen. If the miracle happens, it will be the first time in history it has ever been filmed. Bearing witness. It is a powerful thing.
To view the magic for yourself, check out these links:
-posted on red Ravine under the New Bear Moon, Sunday, January 17th,
Other Local Color posts from Minnesota & New Mexico:
- Mysteries & Myths: In Search Of The Lake Creature
- Sidewalk Poetry — Public Art At Its Best
- Spirits In The Bosque – Patrick Dougherty Leaves His Mark On Albuquerque
- Wet Cement (It Only Takes A Second)
- virgin cottonwood haiku
- A Little Less War
- Birthday Of Mabel Dodge Luhan
- F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Birthday Celebration
- A Journey For Bill
- A Taste Of Ghost Ranch
- Bats, Beautiful Bats!
- the lawrence tree haiku
- Natural Wonders: A Pentagram
- Frieda Lawrence – ‘Til Death Do We Part
- Gearing Up For The MN State Fair — Artist Leo Stans
- “K” Is For Kramarczuk’s
- The Art Of Ice (Art Shanty Projects)
Oh my gosh… I just went to the live web cam & saw a spider walking on her ear. She is now stirring but not quite awake.
This is such a cool thing. Sharing the discoveries of the hibernating and hopefully pregnant bear with the world for free, the North American Bear Center is an awesome place. I hope to visit there some time.
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skyWire, thanks for the comment. I saw that spider, too! Wasn’t it strange to see it walk across her ear, then Lily kind of stirred and batted at it? I’m amazed at how much she moves around in that tiny den. Let’s go up to the North American Bear Center. I haven’t been to Ely in a long, long time. I don’t think since I was on the last canoe trip in the Boundary Waters. It’s such a cool town, too. When can we go North again?
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Go Lily! How amazing. When I first saw the photo I thought it was a sonogram…like a bear cub in a mama bear’s belly, except I couldn’t make out the bear. After I read that it was Lily in her den, I could see her.
I’m too pooped to watch the cam, but after I get back I will. Uck, see, hasn’t someone said that in our lifetimes, at least seven spiders will walk across our faces while we sleep? Where did I hear that? Was it an urban myth started on red Ravine? Or did I just make it up? (I bet it was Heather!) 8)
If it’s true, then just imagine how many spiders will walk across a bear’s sleeping face in the bear’s lifetime. Thousands. We could even come up with a new term of measurement, like “bear nights.” Dog years are 7 years, but “bear nights” could be like 82 nights to every human one.
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ybonesy, just home from work. Lily’s really active right now, moving about her den. She scratches her belly a lot. And I can’t believe how long and sharp her claws are. Amazing to watch her.
Bear nights. I like it. Don’t know much about the spider thing. I’m not very afraid of spiders. I usually just put them outside when I find them, and let them move on. I’m sure we have plenty around the house. They are a little weird to run across when camping though. And I’m not fond of the HUGE spiders that you’ve posted on red Ravine.
One of the cool things about the Bear Den Cam is that you can hear Lily snorting and breathing when she’s awake. I like having the sound.
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Oh, she’s calmed down again. Sleeping. I wanted to mention to anyone viewing Lily’s Bear Cam for the first time, sometimes she just sleeps and you hear the hum of the live feed. Other times, she’s very active. You have to check in off and on and see what’s happening. Then, once you catch her being active, that’s all it takes. You get hooked!
ybonesy, it is hard to make her out in the screen shots. The position of the camera sometimes switches or she will nudge it or move it out of position. Then they have to go out and align it again. Quite the process. I have a lot of admiration for the people working up in Ely, who are doing this work.
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I’m never quite sure which of the 3 “B’s” I’m looking at (buttocks, back or belly) as they all appear equally hairy. I’ve noted quite allot of motion when I’m eating lunch while viewing her. She seems to be quite partial to the new yellow raspberries…
I certainly hope she and her mates don’t ever learn to train those cameras on us. I don’t know about you guys but I don’t want to see myself on youtube snoring away with drool dripping… or worse…eye witness spiders re-creating the John Muir trail over my face.
😉 H
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Heather, you crack me up! It is hard to tell sometimes which part of Lily you are gazing upon. We just got home from work and checked in to the Bear Cam. I guess Lily was quite active today, away from her den. Heather, it sounds like you saw Lily at a really active time. I guess, according to the Facebook notes, she bit a balsam bough and chewed on a rubber band used to hold the camera in place!
Here’s a link to some video of her rummaging around in her den today, tidying up.
Lily Cleaning Her Pad on YouTube (LINK) – she actually bites the rubber band holding the camera in this part of the video. And check out her claws! Massive.
Lily Rummaging Around In Her Den on Facebook (LINK) – I think you have to log into Facebook to see this one. There’s a lot of activity on her Facebook page.
Lily’s Notes On Facebook (LINK) – daily updates from researcher Lynn Rogers (see link in post above) on Facebook. Lots of detail about what goes on with Lily during the day.
Heather, thanks for stopping by. If she has cubs, we’re going to be dancing around Lily’s Bear Den Cam!
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i have to admit that i am now an avid bear watcher!! thanks for including this link. i like the bear nights. nice idea! dogs are finally off the hook as a standard measure. 😉
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Oh, cool, reccos62! Another Lily convert. It’s fascinating, isn’t it? I was thinking about it today…why are so many of us drawn to watching Lily in her den? For me, it’s that she’s present to what’s around her. She’s just there. Being Lily. It slows me down. Back to basics. ybonesy will get a kick out of you liking the bear nights. 8)
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Calling it a day. And a long one at that. Liz just told me it’s Lily the Black Bear’s Birthday. I guess she officially turned 3 years old today, Wednesday, January 20th, 2010. Checked the Bear Cam and she’s scratching, it looks like in a dream. Can you scratch in a dream?
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Hey QM, just dropping in to say I’m heading back home tomorrow. Looking forward to becoming a Lily fan when I’m settled back in NM.
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What does the fortune (from the fortune cookie) say? It’s by the photo of the TV screen.
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Holy Cow, just home from work, checking in on Lily Bear Cam and she’s covered the den entrance with balsam boughs! I guess she needed some privacy on her birthday! In the notes on Facebook (see link to those notes a few comments above), they said they were working on the hum on the video. But as of right now, no one can see past the boughs! Nature, all things of the Earth — unpredictable.
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ybonesy, safe travels! I’ll be thinking about you on the long flight home. Can’t wait to hear more about your trip. Lily will still be here!
Teri, I wondered if anyone would ask about those fortunes. I didn’t even notice them when I took the photo, I was so focused on Lily. There are two fortunes stuck behind a purple Harry Potter band-aid (posted for the HP). They say “Others appreciate your creativity.” And “You will make a fortune with your friend.” 8) Do you think there’s any hope?
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I just watched the video of Lily feathering her nest with balsam fir. It’s a little hard to make out at first, but then you can see her giant paws come forward and back as she adds the boughs to the den opening. Maybe she is getting ready to have her cubs. It seems like such an innately nurturing thing to do.
BTW, the link is on Facebook so you’ll have to become a fan of Lily’s there to see it.
Lily Building The Wall of Fir (LINK)
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Wow QM…major activity noonish So Cal time. Lily gave herself a full bath right in front of me! I think she’s a bit cheeky because at one point, she raised her head, winked at me…and then went on bathing! This is getting better than Masterpiece Theatre!
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Just read on Facebook that Lily is clenching her teeth and might be in position to give birth! If you’ve got a connection, might be a good time to check in to her Bear Cam!
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I’m trying to watch Lily but my wireless is not streaming very well. It could also be that the stream is going slowly with all the live viewers, over 2500 right now. I’ll keep trying for a while.
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Oh wow, I see her breathing!!!
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ybonesy, there were so many hits on the website today that it was down for a bit. I think it was featured on ABC or one of the major networks. But we just got home from poetry group (more about that later! It was wonderful — Ruth Stone) and checked in on the cam. Lily at first was breathing peacefully.
Then she started licking and taking a postion like she might be in labor. She seems to alternate between what looks like labor activity and simply resting. I’m still hopeful that she’ll give birth tonight when I can actually view it. But it may be tomorrow.
I love just watching Lily breathe and was talking about that at poetry group tonight. It’s peaceful, calming. She’s just breathing! More if I see anything. Lynn Rogers gave an update today on the LIVE Bear Cam site, too. Link in the post above.
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Heather, I just read your comment to Liz and she cracked up. You’re so funny! Happy that you are enjoying Lily as much as we are. Much better than Masterpiece Theatre!
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Checked in on wild black bear Lily this morning. She appears still restless but resting. They say at about 4:30am, she was licking something off her chest and suspect she is leaking milk as her labor progresses. Looks snowy and cold in Ely, MN. It’s about 30 degrees here just outside the Twin Cities. Hope to follow her progress during the day. Don’t want to miss this!
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Lily’s having contractions. (She went into labor about 2pm yesterday, Thursday, January 21st, 2010.) Some amazing views of her this morning, but alas I have to get going! Poor girl. She looks so uncomfortable, and her first time birthing. And she keeps covering her head with her paws. She’s seems so young. Can’t wait to see what happens today.
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WILD BEAR LILY HAD A CUB!!! It was around 11:42 CST (Minnesota time). We are so excited! I was out driving when Liz called to let me know. She held the phone up and I heard the bear cub squeak!
Tune in on the first LIVE Bear Cam link in this post. She might still have a second cub! She’s nursing now.
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OH MY GOODNESS. Just home from work and finally able to sit down and take a look at LILY the wild black bear giving birth. It’s incredible.
As I mentioned in the mobile check-in above, I was driving around when Liz called me. She put the phone up to her earbud at the EXACT moment the little cub cried out! It was so cool. I was sitting at lunch when the cub’s scream rang out through the truck cab!
The amazing thing was how human the cub sounded. For a minute I thought she was teasing me. But no, it was Lily’s little bear cub. Lily also makes this sound that’s so nurturing for her little baby.
There’s no word yet on Facebook if there are two cubs or only the one. Hasn’t been confirmed.
For those of you not on Facebook, Liz found a video of Lily birthing on YouTube. I’m going to add the link below. Enlarge it on the big screen and check out the details! At one point, you can see the cub’s little arm reaching out to touch Lily’s face right after it was born. And check out the sounds! Fantastic.
The Birth of Lily’s Black Bear Cub – Jan. 22, 2010 (LINK) (YouTube video)
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Thanks for the You Tube link, QM. The sounds the cub makes blew me away. I had no idea a bear would sound like a human baby!
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Wow, QM, just saw the YouTube link, too. Amazing and also scary to think of Lily there alone giving birth, the tight space. I hope they are both healthy in their snug spot.
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Teri, I’ll never forget that sound! Glad you viewed the link. It’s amazing. Another thing that was amazing was the way she pushed her paws against the wall of her den when she was having the contractions. Gave a whole new meaning to the phrase “bearing down.”
ybonesy, it is strange to think that Lily lived alone for 3 years, then suddenly, she’s got a cub, there in the dark of a Minnesota winter. The Bear Cam is infrared so it looks lit up. But it’s actually really dark and probably pretty cold. She seems to pull the cub toward her, huddle it in her paws and close to her body.
I think I mentioned the spider that’s been hanging around the den, too. Liz said she saw it again today. It’s been nicknamed Charlotte on Facebook. 8)
Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, biologists at the North American Bear Center, posted a few updates on Facebook. I’m adding the LINK here. And for those who don’t have Facebook, here’s a little blurb:
The researchers say they are exhausted. They don’t think there is a second cub but will keep checking in over the next few days. Can’t wait to see more of Lily’s little cub!
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The size of a baby bear is a shocker! When you see it’s paw, though, 3/4 pound looks about right.
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Teri, thanks for checking in from the road. The baby black bear cub is chattering away this morning. It makes this sound when it nurses that is hard to describe without hearing it. The cub is so active. Lily on the other hand, seems exhausted. She’s breathing slowly, all snuggled up to the new cub. I still can’t get over how human that baby bear cub sounds sometimes. It’s eerie.
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Watching Lily’s Bear Cam this morning, Liz and I noticed that there is little movement but tons of vocals. Liz told me about this link to the North American Bear Center that talks about the different sounds that black bears make. I’m adding the link here for those who want to know more. Some of the sounds you’ll recognize from listening to Lily and her cub! You can hear the sound Lily made when the cub came out (the sounds of a young cub with its mother).
Black Bears: Vocalizations & Body Language (LINK)
Black bears use sounds, body language, and scent-marking to express their emotions of the moment.
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We continued to check in on Lily and her cub today. She alternates between sleeping and taking care of the cub’s every need. When the cub screams, it really screams out! I wonder if it’s hard to stay warm. It’s about 32 in Ely, MN as I type. All this is on the Bear Cam link in the post.
Here’s another Facebook link that Liz shared with me today. It’s called Caring For Cubs In the Den (LINK). The video features Lily when she was 5 weeks old. Lily has 2 brothers. Lily’s mother June takes care of her 3 cubs in the video. Lily is the light-faced cub. Fascinating to watch.
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I wonder if the baby sometimes screams from being kind of squashed by Lily. Not that I worry that the cub will be crushed, but it must be pretty tight in there and Lily must have to take care to not put too much weight on the cub. Of course, if the cub is hungry, it might be screaming for food. I know that I’ve heard some loud screams in my days of being a nursing mama. 8)
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ybonesy, it sounds like Lily curls around her somehow. I had the same thought, that Lily is so huge, the cub so small! But they must instinctively know how to manage all that. It’s a beautiful thing, those mothering skills. 8)
We checked in on Lily tonight and she had a bunch of snow on her back. The weather in MN has turned January again and they got about a foot of snow in Ely. The researchers said she’s well insulated and that we don’t have to worry too much about them getting cold.
Another interesting development — they’ve asked for volunteers to help track the movements of Lily and the cub. I guess they have enough now. But I thought it was pretty cool that they asked for help on Facebook because they just can’t do it all. We’ll keep watching for any changes. Keep checking the Bear Cam. Once in a while, the little one gives a shout out. But it seems mostly content and healthy.
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Came home today and tried to check on Lily and the cub but the Bear Cam’s down. I guess it went down yesterday when Ely got over a foot of snow. Powerlines grew heavy and some went down, including the feed to the Bear Den Cam.
I guess it was back up for a bit today, but now it appears to be down again. Will check on Lily later after dinner and see what’s happening!
It’s freezing here in the Twin Cities, about 5 hours south of Ely, Minnesota. So I can only imagine how cold and frosty it is up there tonight. It’s 6 degrees where I’m at, with a windchill of 12 below. Stay warm, Lily!
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Lily’s Bear Cam’s back up! And it’s pretty still and quiet. There are also some photos of very young cubs and what Lily’s cub might be looking like (she’s 4 days old, no hair). The 2-week old cub in the photo has a HUGE tongue and mouth designed for sucking.
Liz and I laughed at this part of the quote: “We wonder how many of Lily’s 6 nipples the cub is using. Usually, each cub in a litter establishes ownership of only a couple nipples, but this cub is free to roam.” Lily’s little baby should grow to be quite healthy!
No name yet, but they are thinking of having a name contest for Lily’s cub. Fun to follow their progress. Gratitude for all the work they do, most of it volunteer.
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It’s -8 in Ely, heading toward -19 for a low tomorrow. There’s a tender update on the Bear Den Cam (first link in post) by the researchers. They are actively looking for names for the black bear cub. I also saw this video posted on Facebook about 10pm EST (sorry for those who can’t access it) and Lily was briefly cleaning the cub (LINK).
Here’s a quote from the site today. The cool thing about Lily — she’s just Lily, doing what black bears do. It’s instinctive and nurturing. Wonder what it would be like if we all were able to just be.
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We are continuing to keep an eye on Lily and the cub. They’ve decided to wait a bit to name the cub. For now, the name is just Cub. Still don’t know what the sex of the cub is either. But the researchers mentioned in the January 29th update on the Lily Den Cam page (link in post) that they are hoping it’s a girl. Mostly because the males leave the area when they get older. If the cub is female, she’ll likely hang around and they can keep studying her.
LILY’S LINEAGE: One cool thing in their update yesterday — they talked about Lily’s lineage. They’ve been studying this Bear Clan for 5 generations. It sounds like 4 are still around: 20-year-old Shadow is Lily’s grandmother. June is 9 years old and is Lily’s mother. Then Lily is 3 years old. And the Cub is one week old yesterday, January 29th, 2010! Volunteers are helping them log Lily and her cub’s behavior. Two people are covering each 2-hour period around the clock daily.
BBC DOCUMENTARY IN 2010: And more cool news — the BBC will be making documentaries on Lily and the cub this Spring, Summer, and Fall, one for each season, including Lily’s relationship to her mother, June. And it sounds like they may come back in Spring 2011 to film Lily and the cub leaving the den that April. The cub would be a yearling and move off on her own at that point; Lily would find a mate again. It sounds like Lily will hang with the cub for a year, teaching her everything she needs to know to survive, being a good Bear Mamma.
I love the updates on the Bear Cam site where I continue to learn more about Bears. Reasearchers Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists at the North American Bear Center, continue to do a fantastic job of managing all the traffic and updates, while still continuing to do their research. They are to be applauded for raising such awareness for the well-being of wild bears.
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Checked on Lily and the Cub today. And I just checked the link to the North American Bear Center Den Cam and IT’S A GIRL! They are 90% sure the cub is a girl after seeing a closer glimpse of the cub on video. This is exciting news — “because with the female cub, we can study her relationship with her mother Lily and her Grandmother June (age 9) and her Great-Grandmother Shadow (age 20) for years to come.” Check out the website (first link in post) to read more.
Do you have a dream? Passion about your dreams? Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is?
I learned from yesterday’s update that researcher Lynn Rogers, and his wife, Donna, took a huge risk — they mortgaged their property and depleted their savings to give the North American Bear Center an unsecured loan of $1,145,000. Each month the Bear Center pays interest on the loan to the Rogers and they in turn pay back the bank. The Bear Center is relying on donations to bring down the principle and decrease the interest payments.
I’m in awe of these researchers and how much they are willing to put on the line for the future of wild bears. It’s inspiring and encouraging. I sure hope we get to visit the NABC this summer.
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One more comment. Liz sent me this link to a video tribute to Dr. Lynn Rogers and his wildlife research. It features award-winning bear photos by Dr. Lynn and Donna Rogers, and is underscored by Spiritwood Music instrumental, ‘Bethani’s Song’ written by Bill Adamson. Fun to watch.
Here’s the link:
Through The Lens – The Bear Man (LINK)
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A check-in on Lily. If you haven’t checked the BearCam in a while, everything has changed! The cub has been named HOPE! And is she active. They installed a new microphone and as I type, I can see Hope’s huge paws and hear her snorting this morning. Go to the link in the post for the live cam to Hope and Lily!
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I’m so excited. Liz and I just booked a room in Ely, Minnesota for the upcoming LilyPad Picnic event July 30th to August 1st. We’ll be at the Adventure Inn in the Deer Haven room. Can’t wait for the vacation North! We’re going to see Lily and her cub, Hope. It will also be an opportunity to meet other fans from around the world who have been following Lily.
Today is March 6th, only about 145 days to go until the Lilypad Picnic. If you want to attend, book now. We got the last room at a hotel we could afford. If you are on Facebook, you can see details of the event here:
LILYPAD PICNIC (A Gathering for Fans of Lily the Black Bear & her Cub) [LINK]
BTW, Lily’s cub Hope is getting more and more active in the den. She is adorable to watch (not forgetting that she’s a wild bear, of course). I’ll try to come back and add a few archivced video links so you can see her if you’re following here. Otherwise, click on the live link in this post to view Lily and Hope LIVE.
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As I promised, here is a public video from yesterday, March 5th, 2010 of Lily bathing her cub. (You don’t have to be on Facebook to view. Anyone can see it!)
LILY & HOPE THE CUB: March 5, 2010 (Special Edition bathtime) – Lily the Black Bear and her cub sightings (LINK)
And here’s a link to the video page of the public website, so you can view all the videos posted of Hope the cub with Lily. Enjoy!
North American Bear Center DEN CAM VIDEOS OF LILY & HER CUB HOPE (LINK)
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Hope Alert!
Lily’s cub, Hope, is alone in the den and you can see a full view of her learning to walk while talking to herself. It is SO cool. Here’s the link:
CUB HOPE WALKING AND TALKING (link)
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That was so cool. Hope was wandering around the den for a while, then we got to see mother Lily crawl back into the den at which point Hope immediately calmed down. I love watching these wild bears. A second ago, Lily’s eye and snout were right up against the camera. I swear, her eye looks human. And so caring. Wild these bears may be — but they are beautiful and Lily fiercely mothers and nurtures her cub. Wild but tender.
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I missed this and by the time I checked out the link all I saw was Lily’s fur. I could hear her breathing hard, though. 🙂
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yb, no worries if you miss one of the peak moments in Lily’s Dencam. They are usually documented on the website. If people want to see Hope by herself in the den yesterday, they can go to MARCH 13TH, 2010 – HOPE ALONE 3 – SPECIAL after clicking on the link below. There is another video right under Hope Alone 3 that is titled March 13th, 2010 – SPECIAL ESCAPE EDITION that shows Hope trying to get out from under Lily. It’s quite funny.
The Hope Alone video is really great because you can see how big she has gotten. Also the way Lily reassures her as she leaves the den, and the way Lily crawls back into the den. A real treat. Hope is getting more and more vocal and active. Quite a handful. I’m struck by what a good mother Lily is. I wonder how much of that is instinct, how much her personality. Some animals, like some humans, don’t make good mothers. Go to this link to view all the videos.
BEAR DENCAM VIDEOS OF HOPE & LILY (LINK)
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UPDATE: we are well into March and Liz and I have been watching Lily and Hope almost every evening. The two of them bedded outside of the den about 10 feet last weekend. It was so strange to see the den empty!
You can go to the Bear Dencam Video link above to see archived video of Lily and Hope. And if you go to the live Bear Cam link, you’ll see these three symbols that look like 3 spoons at the bottom of the video. If you click on the Spoons, you’ll see Broadcasts and HotSpots. Broadcasts are 10 minute segments going back in time with Lily and Hope. HotSpots are Highlights of their time together.
Keep in mind that Lily and Hope won’t be in the den much longer. Last weekend, two days ago, Liz and I watched as Hope made her way out of the den for the first time! She was finally walking without tumbling back down into the den.
Tonight we watched Hope and Lily playing and pretending to sleep. Hope was chewing on Lily’s paw. Lily was scratching her and giving her big bear hugs! Can’t believe how much fun it’s been to watch their progress. Lily’s such a good mother. And Hope, well, Hope is just Hope (and she looks just like Lily).
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Oh, my gosh. Lily and Hope are bear wrestling in their cave right now. It’s so cute. Check out the Live BearCam!
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Meant to drop this link here a few days ago. Dr. Lynn Roger from the North American Bear Center will be featured on the 2010 season premiere of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom weekly series that airs on Sunday, April 4. Don’t miss it!
BEARWALKER AROUND THE WORLD (LINK)
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UPDATE: well, if you’ve clicked on the DenCam link lately, you’ve seen that Lily and Hope have left the nest. It’s so strange to go to the DenCam and see no bears! Feeling the empty nest.
In a recent update on the site, researchers said that Lily and Hope are sleeping about 25 feet away from the den in an outside bed. It’s been so warm this March, I can’t blame them. Once in a while, you might be able to hear Lily and Hope from their perch a ways away.
Also, Hope has started to climb trees. You can read about it here:
Only time will tell (LINK) – Hope is climbing trees!
And see Hope waking up from a nap in this video from March 27th (only a few days ago) when they were still in the den. Will keep you posted as we go.
March 27, 2010 (Special – Wake UP) – Lily the Black Bear and Hope (LINK)
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QM, I’m so happy that you and Liz are going to see Lily and Hope. You’ve become godmothers of sorts. 8)
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ybonesy, thank you! I like the idea of being a godmother to Hope and Lily!
Checking in here to say that we are watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom with black bear researchers Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield. The show is BearWalker of the North Woods. It’s really great! We are taping it. We’ve seen June and her cubs, and are now watching Lily with Lynn two years ago. I strongly recommend it for Lily and Hope fans.
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Liz and I checked the link to the DenCam today and it’s not streaming at this time. However, keep checking the link because there are updates every few days. And today, April 7th, 2010, there is a video posted of Lily & Hope that is amazing. They are playing together, Hope is still nursing, but she’s walking around and climbing trees. They are bedded under a white pine on a bed that Lily made for her and Hope to keep them dry. Here are the links. Well worth the view!
APRIL 7TH, 2010 — LILY & HOPE ON VIDEO (LINK)
APRIL 7TH, 2010 — NOTES ON LILY AND THE NEW POCKET VIDEO CAM (LINK)
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Wow, so much has happened with Lily and Hope since April 2010, that I can barely keep up. Liz and I visit the North American Bear Center website every day to watch the progress of Lily and Hope.
For those of you who have lost track, Hope was separated from Lily a few weeks ago, reunited, and separated again. There is an ongoing research debate on whether to leave Hope to the wild, take her into the shelter, or not intervene at all. Following the journey of 3-year-old Black Bear Lily and her cub, Hope (now almost 5 months), has been eye opening for researchers, as well as those of us following Hope’s progress since her live birth by BearCam last Winter. Dr. Lynn Rogers and biologist Sue Mansfield have done an excellent job of keeping us all updated via their research updates on Facebook and at the NABC (see links below).
I just updated the red Ravine sidebar with the links we use to follow the progress of Lily and Hope. There is also a Live Webcam at the NABC where you can view the teaching Black Bears Ted, Lucky, and Honey. I’m adding the links here as well. Liz and I will be up in Ely, Minnesota in July for LilyPad Picnic. We are looking forward to it!
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Learn more about Lily & Hope at the North American Bear Center website. See Black Bears Ted, Honey, & Lucky on their 24/7 Live Webcam:
Click Here for the latest Videos of Lily & Hope!
Lily & Hope Research Updates
Follow Lily & Hope on Facebook!
Everything Bears at the NABC Homepage
Live 24/7 Webcam of Black Bears Ted, Honey, & Lucky at the NABC!
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QM, since I’m a Facebook Fan of Lily and Hope, I’ve been keeping up with the recent developments on Lily’s separation from Hope and the question about whether Hope was safe, was eating, etc. I was so relieved, as were Hope’s hundreds of friends, that Hope was indeed found and seems to be eating the food left for her at the feeding stations.
But whew, what a roller coaster ride!! And the debate has been interesting to watch unfold. I can understand the emotions associated with seeing this cub fend for herself. I would just hate to see anything happen to her, and that world she is living in right now is so unpredictable. But I’m also surprised by the intensity of the opinions of various folks and the criticism of the researchers.
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ybonesy, I have been surprised, too, by the intensity of the criticism. I can understand the debate about the research options of how to handle Hope. Dr. Rogers and Sue have never claimed to have all the answers. At the same time, there is a lot of bashing going on by members of some organizations and the state. It seems like tension that might go back a ways. There was an article in the Duluth paper yesterday that seemed to grab the negative and post it completely out of context. Maybe it comes back to what I was talking about in my comment to Erin on her poetry we published today on red Ravine. If we have passion for something, devote our lives to it, and get our work out there in the public arena, we open ourselves up to whatever opinions people want to have about us. Right or wrong. Objective or untrue.
I, personally, think some have a hard time with the success of others. Anything to tear down the good that is happening. There is a lot we don’t know, of course. But me? I’m going to err on the side of the NABC. I’ve seen them try to be as honest as they can about what they do and don’t know. When they are uncertain, they admit it. Yet they have done so much good toward education about bears in the wild. It’s no different than the work I see at the National Eagle Center down in Wabasha, MN. Or the Raptor Center here in the Twin Cities. People who devote their lives to trying to educate people about what is wild and untamed on the planet. Most people are never going to be able to go out and see wolves, bears, raptors out in the wild. For most of us, this is as close as we are going to come to the truly wild.
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I’m also touched by both the professionalism and the heart of the researchers, QM. They have been so transparent, even in their acknowledgment of their detractors. I’ve not been privy to who some of those doing the criticizing are, although I did gather that there was at least one other researcher, a competitor (I guess every field has competition), that has been vocal. It’s not pretty to see this happen, especially when there’s enough stress related to finding the cub. And I agree with you. Debating the options makes sense. Kind of like brainstorming real time. But bashing is petty.
I wonder how much that whole dynamic is fueled by social networking media (in particular, Facebook). I think in one of updates, the researchers touched on the pros and cons of having such an open experiment such as this. I think overall, the outcome has been more than positive, especially given how much funding FB friends have raised for the on-going research.
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yb, what I really like about Dr. Rogers and Sue is their ability to remain focused on what’s important to them and not get dragged into the muck that other researchers are slinging. They are really taking the High Road and I admire them for that. There was a timeline in the Duluth paper that was totally unprofessional and published out of context. No one left their name on it, or owned it. It was a list of negative accusations, many of which have been proven untrue. I can only imagine it was designed to draw readers to the newspaper. Not sure why such mudslinging. I was saddened to read it. People can stoop to such low measures as a result of jealousy or anger. Still, through all that, the NABC acknowledges what is happening, yet stays focused on their mission.
I think the social media aspect has totally changed the game, ybonesy. So many people following, commenting, and everyone has an opinion. Humans tend to anthropomorphize animals to begin with, and you sure see a lot of that from fans of Lily and Hope. That, alone, changes the pureness of traditional research. I do think it’s an experiment of a different kind. A research adventure that includes social media will allow others to learn from the ups and downs of that venue. I agree, it’s more positive than negative. And the awareness and money raised are beyond measure.
Some exciting news today, Lily has a mate! They discovered her following a male bear around today, so she is in estrus. And little Hope is doing well on her own. She’s getting stronger every day. Perhaps their separation is more normal than it first seemed. It’s been so fascinating to follow Lily and Hope through this whole year. What a wild ride. I’m looking foward to visiting Ely in July and meeting some of the key players. We probably won’t see Lily and Hope. But, well, you never know.
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Hope is 20 weeks old today. Almost 5 months. She’s tall, healthy, filling out, according to the updates and photos on the NABC site and on Facebook. An independent girl. 8)
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A big update on Lily & Hope! They were reunited today. In an event that no one could have predicted, Lily wandered into Hope’s territory and they’ve begun playing together again. Not to mention that Hope has begun nursing again. It’s an unbelievable development!
You can see video of their reunion here:
July 12th, 2010 — Lily & Hope Back Together! (LINK)
And if you are following the NABC on Facebook, there are research updates nearly every day. The links are all on our red Ravine side bar. Here’s a link to the Research Update on Lily & Hope’s Reunion today:
Lily & Hope Reunited! – Research Update, July 12, 2010 9:15 PM CDT (LINK)
Liz and I will be traveling to Ely, Minnesota in a few weeks to see the North American Bear Center in person and have breakfast with Dr. Lynn Rogers and biologist Sue Mansfield, along with a few other Bear fans. We are so excited to meet other Lily and Hope fans. And to get up to Ely again. I haven’t been up there since one of my last canoe trips in the Boundary Waters. Can’t wait!
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Getting ready to travel to Ely, Minnesota and the North American Bear Center for the LilyPad Picnic this weekend. It’s a beautiful day in Minneapolis and I sure hope this weather holds. Can’t wait to meet biologists Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, and all the other Lily and Hope fans who are traveling from far and wide to be there. Will keep you posted after we arrive!
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It’s been an amazing few days up in Ely, Minnesota at the North American Bear Center. Tomorrow is officially the LilyPad Picnic but we’ve met a ton of Lily and Hope supporters from all over the world the last few days. Tonight our motel is full of LilyPad Bear People. It’s been a blast. Perfect weather yesterday, today it rained, but it didn’t matter a bit. Spirits were high.
The NABC is a wealth of info on bears of all kinds. Beautiful place to visit. Today we saw Ted and Lucky in person for the first time. Here’s a photo of them in the rain from the observation deck:
Hope to do a post at some point. Will keep you posted. Tonight Dr. Rogers made an appearance at the end of the night. The webcam was turned in on everyone at the Bear Center (it’s staying open after hours for the picnic people) and we were streaming live over the Internet for a time. A lot of fun. Oh, and I had the best steak I’ve ever eaten at the Ely Steakhouse!
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Just back from a local Lily & Hope event in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. We met a few people at the LilyPad Picnic in Ely, Minnesota in July that don’t live all that far from us. A few of them decided to gather a few local people together to meet and tell their stories about how they started to follow Lily and Hope. We also raised over $200 to donate to the North American Bear Center.
I can’t tell you how inspiring it is to meet people from all walks of life who first connected online and now meet in person to do some good in the world. It’s moving. Connection is powerful. And so is social media. We can make a difference. These are stories of healing, how humans are being helped by their connection to nature.
I wanted to mention, too, how much I admire the research and dedication of Sue Mansfield, Lynn Rogers, and all the people who work at the North American Bear Center. It’s not just about the bears. It’s their environment, habitat, the forest, the environment. Creating safe space for animals in this overcrowded planet. I feel grateful to be a small part of it. And the bears — they are just out there doing what they do best — being bears.
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It’s little black bear Hope’s birthday! Hope is 7 months old today – August 22, 2010. Happy Birthday, Hope!
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[…] Fair yesterday. Fall made her official debut with a cloudy, blustery 68 degrees. I bundled up in my Lily and Hope North American Bear Center sweatshirt and made the rounds with Liz and two friends who we go to the […]
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Hunting season has started. And Sarah, one of the radio collared bears in Ely, MN was killed today. She was 19 months old and had bright ribbons indicating that she was a research bear. Her blood spattered collar was turned in to the DNR today. There are no laws against shooting the RC bears. Though efforts have been made in the past to put laws in place. Most hunters are respectful of research bears. But not all. I feel saddened, and angry. But mostly sad for the loss of a valuable research bear that would help to educate future generations and keep the ecosystem healthy. Maybe it’s time to make great effort to change the laws. RIP Sarah.
Here is the write up by Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield on Facebook: Update September 7th, 2010: Sarah Bear Is Dead (LINK)
And here is a link to an article by Beth Jett: Radio-collar of Ely Research Bear turned in, presumed dead (LINK)
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Hunting season continues. For now, Lily and Hope are in a safe area. Here are some articles I read today where the debate goes on about setting up laws to ban the shooting of radio collared bears. About the 12-year-old girl shooting one of the bears (and her father condoning it) — I really don’t know what to say.
Lily & Hope in a safe area for now FB Update (LINK)
Latest shooting of research bear dredges up old debate (LINK) – from Duluth News Tribune
Ely bear researcher Lynn Rogers says he is considering pushing for a state law that would ban shooting of radio-collared bears. Rogers has had seven of his radio-collared bears killed by hunters, five of them in the past six years
12-year-old girl shot research bear from City Pages (LINK)
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[…] sister when she was a small girl, the Morton Salt Umbrella Girl, the official Geocaching logo, Lily and Hope black bear swag from our trip to the North American Bear Center in Ely, Minnesota last July. There […]
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Sad news. Another radio-collared bear has been killed. This time it’s Lily’s brother Cal that has been shot. Three-year-old Cal was in the Bearwalker documentary, featured as a newborn cub in the den in SpringWatch USA on Animal Planet back in 2007, and was one of the bears in the BBC Series Life: Insects in 2008.
There is a great write up on Lily the Black Bear’s Facebook page. Here’s the link: Lily’s Brother Cal Is Killed – UPDATE September 21, 2010 – 10:00 PM CDT (LINK)
RIP Cal. And let’s work together to change the laws and make it illegal to shoot radio-collared bears. To learn more details about how you can get involved in changing the laws, there’s a detailed update on Facebook: Hunting radio-collared bears must be made illegal. Update September 10, 2010 – 11:24 PM CDT (LINK).
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Just realized it’s been a while since I’ve updated on Lily & Hope. Bear hunting season is over (thank goodness) though people are still writing letters to help make it illegal to shoot the radio-collared bears. Hopefully by next year.
On the happy side of things, Lily and Hope have found a wonderful den for the Winter. The new post tonight shows photos of them near the den. There is one of Hope peering out, one of Gentle Lily ever near, keeping lookout.
Here’s the link on Facebook if you’d like to see the lastest photos of how HUGE Hope has gotten:
Gentle Lily – Update October 25, 2010 – 8:09 PM CDT (LINK) – Lily & Hope near their Winter den
Liz and I will be heading to Hinckley, MN this weekend for the latest Lilypad event. Will keep you posted!
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[…] old recipe. A new flame. Joy takes many forms. Clay dangling from red string. One new liver. Two hibernating black bears. Three things I am grateful […]
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Great News, the new Lily & Hope DenCam is LIVE as of today! The NABC has improved their website and moved some things around. I’ll have to update the red Ravine sidebar over the coming week to add the new links.
In the meantime, you can view Lily & Hope in their den in 2011 at this link:
LILY & HOPE DENCAM – DECEMBER 2010 THRU 2011 (LINK)
I heard they will be repositioning it tomorrow and will keep improving it in the coming weeks (here’s the Facebook update (LINK) on the new DenCam). Liz and I also signed up for the LILYPAD PICNIC in JULY 2011! I can wait to meet all of our BearHead friends there this Summer. 8)
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We are spending part of our New Year’s Eve watching the new 2011 DenCam. I couldn’t believe it when Hope peeked her little head around from the back of the den! How do Lily and Hope both fit in the same den? I’m excited to see what happens with the birth process this year. Lily should give birth in January 2011. Can’t wait. She made the local Twin Cities news last night — Lily & Hope DenCam mania!
UPDATE: cool photo of Dr. Rogers and Lily on today’s Facebook update. Also a photo of HOPE in the den with Lily!
LILY THE BLACKBEAR: Update December 31, 2010 – 6:23 PM CST (LINK)
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[…] to feed Mr. Stripeypants and Kiev. Liz will be rising soon. We spent part of New Year’s Eve watching Lily and Hope on the NABC 2011 DenCam. They aren’t worried about such things as red Ravine. They are busy […]
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We just watched Live as Jason and Dr. Rogers adjusted the Lily & Hope DenCam. It’s really clear and vibrant. Lily is at the entrance to the den right now. Hope made an appearance this morning, too. Getting closer to finding out if Lily will have cubs again this year. And how Hope will react!
It’s an exciting time on the Lily & Hope DenCam 2011 (here’s the LINK). I’ll have the link on our sidebar, too.
We had dinner with one of our BearHead friends last night and caught up. She’ll be in Ely this July, too, for the LilyPad 2 Picnic that Liz and I are attending. One of the things we talked about last night is that we have no idea how Hope is going to react to a new cub if Lily gives birth again. We have to be prepared for anything that might come from the Wild, good or sad. We’ll see what happens!
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[…] was in Ely, Minnesota on a hot July afternoon when a new haiku 2 (one-a-day) notification popped up on my BlackBerry. It was A~Lotus, a friend I […]
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It’s Lily the Black Bear’s 4th birthday today — January 19th, 2011. She’s sleeping in the den near Ely, Minnesota tonight with her almost 1-year-old cub (Hope turns 1 year on January 22nd!). They think Lily is pregnant for sure and should be having cubs any day now. We check in to the DenCam frequently (the link is in the comment above & on the sidebar).
Happy Birthday, Lily!
As a sidenote, January 20th is researcher Sue Mansfield’s birthday. Wow, that’s tomorrow! Lots of cool January birthdays with the bears!
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WOW! The time is near! Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center just posted on Lily’s Facebook page that they think she is in labor!
Here’s the link to the Facebook post:
Update January 20, 2010 – 7:00 PM CST
Labor Beginning? (LINK)
Time to glue ourselves to the video screen. Lily’s cubs should come sometime in the next few days. And then, how will Hope respond?
Yesterday was the Full January Moon in Cancer. I sometimes call it the Wolf Moon. Some call it the Cold Moon. And to others, it’s the Bear Moon when Bears have their cubs. Lynn & Sue reference the Bear Moon in their post. You can follow Lily on Facebook at the Link. The Live DenCam link 2011 is on the red Ravine sidebar. Happy Birthday, Sue! On Saturday, Little Hope will turn one!
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Saw on FB that the second cub was born. I immediately thought of you and Liz—you’re aunties!! Congratulations!
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QM, two cubs! My! Wee Hope is now a Big Sister 🙂 Well done Lily!
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ybonesy & annieoakcake, I’m so excited! We do feel like proud Aunties! I was on the go most of yesterday and last night was at an art opening at MCAD but checked in late last night to hear the two cubs nursing. I’ll come back and post links later, but RIGHT NOW Hope is checking out Lily and the cubs LIVE on the DenCam.
Also, it’s HOPE’s BIRTHDAY TODAY – January 22nd, 2011. She is one year old and is a big sister! Liz said she helped Lily clean the cubs this morning. Oh, how I can relate to being the oldest!
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Lily’s two cubs were born January 21st, 2011 at the following USA CST times:
Tweets from @bearstudy — Wildlife Research Institute:
@bearstudy Wildlife Research Institute:
Lily gave birth to one cub at 13:51 CST. Will there be another?
23 hours ago
Second cub born at 15:03 CST.
22 hours ago
I retweeted these yesterday from the Wildlife Research Institute. First cub was at 1:51 CST. Second was born 3:03 CST.
________________
Here’s the Facebook Update from the day Lily’s two cubs were born:
Update January 21, 2011 – 8:41 PM CST — The Cubs Are Born! (LINK)
Click on the link to read the long post. You won’t want to miss the part about Jason the Warrior Sawyer heading out the DenCam in -40 temps to fix the video camera. These people are dedicated! Hope is very active today, trying to adjust to the cubs. It’s something to watch.
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Isn’t it amazing? I’m just blown away by the fact that we have this glimpse, this huge window really, into the bears’ world. I’m kind of giddy about the twins. 🙂 (As I mentioned on Twitter, QM, I had thought the second cub was second because Hope was first–only later I realized it was two new cubs!)
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Good grief, I just checked out the ‘daily updates’ to discover that there might be a third cub! Lily certainly has her work cut out!
I’m thinking, as Hope is such an independent wee spirit, due to her earlier separation from Lily, she’ll happily take a back seat and let Lily do her stuff. It even looks like she’s giving her mum a helping hand – fingers crossed!
Also, hopefully, the important and new information collected on this mixed aged litter might silence the negative criticism.
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ybonesy, it really is amazing to witness all of this, things no human has seen before. A rare glimpse into a whole new world of black bears. I am loving it.
annieoakcake, I had not heard about a 3rd cub. I will have to check that out for sure today. It’s been very interesting to watch how the 1-year-old Hope responds to Lily with her new cubs. Last night, she was on top of Lily, don’t know if she was keeping her warm or looking for attention. And at one point, she was helping Lily clean the new cubs. Big sister. I think she will take to it well.
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Here’s a link to that update that annieoakcake mentioned about there possibly being a 3rd cub coming to Lily. Looks like they are still not quite sure.
WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE: ALL GOOD NEWS (LINK)
We checked into Lily’s DenCam this morning and they are sleeping away. Not much activity right now. Will keep checking throughout the day!
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Chittering black bear cubs with Lily & Hope. Video taken on Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2011. The coolest bears ever. I wonder if they saw their shadows today? 8) It was quite cold down here in the Twin Cities (-5 air temp this morning). About 7 degrees when this video was captured in Ely, MN by the North American Bear Center and the Wildlife Research Institute.
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QM,
Aren’t they the most wonderful family unit? Hope looks so grown up!
You know, I was thinking about the American groundhog a few days before my birthday and wondering if it’s origins were related to the old Celtic festival of Imbolc/Bride’s Day, celebrated on February 1st. In scottish folklore, Bride is known as the Celtic Goddess of poetry, healing and smithscraft and is the bringer of spring. She turns scarcity into abundance and brings love and light into the world. The folklorist, Alexander Carmichael wrote:
“Bride with her white wand is said to breathe life into the mouth of the dead Winter and to bring him to open his eyes to the tears and the smiles, the sighs and the laughter of Spring. The venom of the cold is said to tremble for its safety on Bride’s Day, and to flee for its life on Patrick’s Day.”
Bride was so revered and sacred to the old Celts that Christianity had to adopt her, naming her Saint Bride. To accomodate the Church, the Day of Bride became equated with Candlemas on February 2nd. I found many examples on the Internet of how her day was celebrated by processions of candlelight.
This morning, I finally found the link between Bride and the groundhog:
“…traces of the festival of the growing light can even be traced to modern America in the Groundhog Day custom on February 2. If the groundhog sees his shadow on this morning, it means there will be six more weeks of winter. The custom comes directly from Europe, and Scotland in particular, where an old couplet goes:
If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,
there’ll be two winters in the year.”
I don’t know why I didn’t make the connection earlier as I do know this old saying, duh! I also found an old scottish poem:
As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas day be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight;
If Candlemas Day be clouds and rain
Winter be gone and will not come again.
A farmer should, on Candlemas Day
Have half his corn and half his hay.
On Candlemas Day if the thorns hang adrop
You can be sure of a good pea crop.
This is the Day of Bride
The Queen will come from the Mound
This is the day of Bride
The serpent will come from the hole
Anyway, if you hadn’t mentioned the groundhog I probably wouldn’t have bothered investigating it. So, thank you, I very much enjoyed it 🙂 I’m now silently praying for the groundhog prediction to be right and asking Bride to look after Lily and her cubs until fairer weather finally arrives.
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annieoakcake, the black bear family is indeed beautiful! We are watching them nurse this morning and there is quite ruckus going on between Hope and the two cubs as they bargain for the Lily’s nipples with the most milk. The researchers have written about nipple order recently, an interesting article. The mixed age den is fascinating to watch. It seems most of the activity is during the day so we try to watch on weekends.
About Imbolc, this is fantastic research on the connection between Groundhog Day and Bride! I celebrate the seasonal holidays too. As you mention, Imbolc just passed and it’s around the time of Liz’s birthday, so we celebrate both — halfway between Winter and Spring!
I really appreciate the documentation on Imbolc, Bride, Groundhog Day. It makes total sense that they would see their shadows on days that were crisp and Winter clear. Therefore, more Winter to come! In our part of the world this year, the Groundhog did NOT see his shadow, so they say an early Spring. I’m not sure! Been pretty cold in Minnesota this week.
Hey, so these Holidays — Imbolc & Groundhog Day — are also related to St. Brigid of Ireland and (as you mentioned) Candlemas, too, right? They are all basically the same holiday but celebrated in different traditions, adapted into Christianity down through the ages. I think in Sweden it’s St. Bridget which is the saint celebrated in Minnesota this time of year.
However we look at it, the Light is coming back from the darkness of Winter Solstice! And soon, Lily, Hope, and her cubs will be heading out of the den and starting to forage for food. Can’t wait to see their little cub butts waddling through the Minnesota woods!
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One of Lily’s little black bear cubs is hanging out of the den, so cute. Great view. Looks like a little monkey.
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This just in — they named the two little cubs a few minutes ago — Faith & Jason! So there is Mama Lily, big sister Hope, two young ones, Faith & Jason! They are getting big, little butterballs!
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QM,
The video clip is hilarious – he/she really does look like a wee monkey 🙂
You know, around December 2008, my mum and I followed the progress of conjoined twins, Faith and Hope Williams. I was particularly interested, not only because it was such a beautiful story (their mum was only 18), but because I had just finished reading Lori Larsens, ‘The Girls’, also about conjoined twins (a great book).
Sadly, the Williams twins didn’t survive and this really upset my mum, more than I imagined it would. It was not long after this that my mum’s condition deteriorated and her life, and mine, would never to be the same again.
When I first came across ‘your’ Hope and watched ‘The Bear family and Me’, I prayed to any God that would listen to help ensure that this wee Hope would survive. I think I needed my ‘faith’ restored in happy endings.
Imagine my delight to learn that Hope’s wee sister is called Faith! I’m sure they’ll be excellent sisters to Jason 🙂 And I’m still willing and praying for that happy ending!
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annieoakcake, I remember hearing about the Williams twins. What an amazing connection to you and your mother. Kind of sad, too. I think these little black bears give people a lot of faith and hope, perhaps restore some of that to humanity. I like that they named Hope’s sister, Faith. I was kind of wishing they would have named the male cub Jason after Jason’s last name, Sawyer. I just thought Faith, Hope, and Sawyer would have been kind of cool. But Jason’s great, too. Jason Sawyer has done so much work as the assistant at the North American Bear Center. Remember when he got on the snowmobile in that sub-zero weather before the new cubs were born this year to fix the dencam? That’s dedication! I always enjoy when you stop by.
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[…] Mn Black Bears Lily & Hope QuoinMonkey was in Ely, MN July 2010 to visit the NABC, meet researchers Lynn Rogers & Sue Mansfield, & photograph the Black Bears. She will be returning for LilyPad Picnic 2 in July 2011. Follow the journey & other Lily & Hope updates on this post! LILY & HOPE LIVE DENCAM —– JANUARY 2011! —– Lily had 2 new cubs on January 21st, 2011. Watch them live in their den! Learn more about Lily & Hope at the North American Bear Center website, and see Black Bears Ted, Honey, & Lucky on the 24/7 Live Webcam: Click Here for the latest Videos of Lily & Hope! Lily & Hope Research Updates Everything Bears at the NABC Homepage Follow Lily & Hope on Facebook Live 24/7 Webcam of Black Bears Ted, Honey, & Lucky at the NABC! […]
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I had a chance to catch up a bit on Lily, Hope, Faith, and Jason today. They have all left their Winter den! I read they have been climbing in and out of the den all week, and it’s actually warmer for them to sleep outside the den than it is in the den right now. Pretty soon, they’ll leave the area all together and head out on their new adventures with Lily’s two new cubs.
As a sidenote, some of our BearHead friends are heading to Ely, Minnesota and the NABC this weekend to share and celebrate the birthday of Dr. Rogers. I’m looking forward to the July picnic when I get to see them all again. Have a great time in Ely today! Spring is on the way.
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[…] Cryptic diptych response to the BlackBerry 52 Jump-Off from Lotus for Week 14. I took three lines from her poem The Yogi, free verse that fit in synchrony with the current Writing Topic on Death & Dying. I continue to use our collaboration as a platform to explore creating mandalas and learning more about Photoshop Elements. The photograph is an original RAW file from a short geocaching side trip to Moose Lake, Minnesota last July. We were on our way to the North American Bear Center in Ely to meet with Lily the Black Bear fans. […]
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It’s been so long since I’ve updated the post on Lily & Hope. I imagine many of you follow Lily the Black Bear on Facebook and are up to date.
For those of you who don’t know, one of Lily’s cubs died in April 2011. Jason passed away. They did an autopsy that you can read about in the posts that follow. There was conflict between the NABC and the DNR who took Jason’s body, but eventually gave it back. Here’s the post from the day cub Jason died:
Update April 12, 2011 – 10:43 PM CST – Jason Dies (LINK)
We are a day away from May 2011 now. Lily, Hope, and Faith are long out of the den and wandering the woods near Ely, MN. It appears that Lily hasn’t been feeling well the last few days. Here’s the latest post:
Update April 29, 2011 – 7:06 PM CDT – A Day With Lily (LINK)
As the black bears go through their ups and downs, we go through them with them. It’s a big learning about life, death, nature, humans, intervention, non-intervention, conflict — the joy of living, the joy of life, loss, love.
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Oh QM, my heart’s sore. I’m ashamed to say that I stopped checking in on them because I was going through such anxiety in April and I couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to Faith – was holding on to it so much. I intended to get back to them once Spring had well and truly arrived… I never thought for a minute that Jason wouldn’t survive – poor, poor wee guy. I know they were just doing their job, and there would’ve been an outcry from the critics had they intervened, but I wish they’d tried to save him, somehow…
The week before I went to Samye Ling for the painting course, I’d went for a routine breast x-ray. When I arrived back from SL on the Monday, there was a letter from the NHS saying they wanted me to go to hospital for another x-ray as the first one had come back ‘unclear’. I didn’t tell anyone except my husband because I thought it was just routine. However, as soon as I arrived, they asked me to go to a side room as the doctor wanted to speak with me. She told me that the x-ray had shown a substantial mass on my right breast. I can’t begin to tell you how I felt. I just kept telling myself to have faith, that no matter what, I’d get through it. They took another x-ray and the mass was still there. Then they sent me for a CT scan. As I sat in the waiting room with my husband, I heard a woman call her husband, asking him to leave his work and come get her – it wasn’t good news. After about three quarters of an hour, which felt like an eternity, they called me back into the office and told me that everything was fine, the mass was just tissue. I was so relieved, I can’t tell you how much. So, April was a month that I didn’t want to think about survival or death or dying. But it’s there, everywhere. It’s the only certainty there is in life. It would do our souls good if we were more open and honest about it.
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annie, I’m relieved that everything checked out alright. That’s really scary. So much anxiety is created by health issues. I once had a needle biopsy that caused quite a bit of anxiety in me. Could not believe how long the needle was to begin with. And then, the waiting to see if everything is alright. Turns out it was. But you just never know. Thanks for your honesty. And I am so glad you are doing well.
It was a shock to me when little Jason got weak and eventually died. I wasn’t expecting it. I guess Lily is still not feeling well and they are trying to figure out what’s wrong. If the mother bear gets sick, there is quite a bit of concern for little Faith and Hope, too, who is still nursing. I am very fond of Mother Lily. I’ll keep you posted as I find out more. I do keep up in Facebook but don’t put all the updates on red Ravine unless something major happens. I’m really looking forward to heading back to Ely in July to meet up with other Lily and Hope fans. It will be on my birthday weekend. 8)
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QM,
I told my husband that I’d like to go and visit the wee bears in America and he just said, ‘We’ll see’!!!! Normally, he’d just give me a long suffering look! It’s Iona’s 21st birthday at the end of June and maybe if I survive that financially, I might just make it! Fingers crossed (and toes and arms and legs and eyes :-))
I’m praying that Lily and Hope and Faith all make it. Will conquer my fears and start watching out for them again.
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annie, oh, I hope you can make it to Ely this Summer! Keep us posted. Would be so much fun to meet you. Quite a journey you’d have to take from Scotland! Glad you are going to start looking in on Lily, Hope, and Faith again. Some good news: Lily is doing better! They checked on her today and posted this on Facebook:
Update May 1, 2011 – 3:53 PM CDT – Update: Lily Is Her Old Self! (LINK)
Happy May Day, Lily!
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[…] Mn Black Bears Lily & Hope QuoinMonkey was in Ely, MN July 2010 to visit the NABC, meet researchers Lynn Rogers & Sue Mansfield, & photograph the Black Bears. She will be returning for LilyPad Picnic 2 in July 2011. Follow the journey & other Lily & Hope updates on this post! LILY & HOPE LIVE DENCAM —– JANUARY 2011! —– Lily had 2 new cubs on January 21st, 2011. Watch them live in their den! Learn more about Lily & Hope at the North American Bear Center website, and see Black Bears Ted, Honey, & Lucky on the 24/7 Live Webcam: Click Here for the latest DenCam Videos of Lily & Hope! Lily & Hope Research Updates Everything Bears at the NABC Homepage Follow Lily & Hope on Facebook Live 24/7 Webcam of Black Bears Ted, Honey, & Lucky at the NABC! _______________________ […]
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If you haven’t checked in on Lily, Hope, & Faith in a while, now is the time! It’s Summer in Ely, Minnesota and they are playing away. Here’s the lastest video and update from Lily the Black Bear!
Lily the Black Bear, Hope and Faith – June 3, 2011 – Play, Play, Play!
We’re getting excited for the LilyPad Picnic in July. All of our Bearhead friends are talking about it on Facebook. Maybe we’ll see you there!
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The Lilypad Picnic 2011 was amazing. Over 200 Lily, Hope, and Faith fans converged in Ely, Minnesota last week to celebrate bears. We spent a lot of time at the North American Bear Center, in front of the Sheridan Street webcam with our Lilypad friends, and tootling around the cool shops in Ely. We also visited the bears at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary outside of Orr, Minnesota. Had a fantastic time.
Thanks to all who organized the Lilypad Picnic. I can’t imagine how much hard work went into this over the last year. This is our second year at the picnic and we plan to return in 2012. I’d like to post photos and maybe a few videos of the bears over the next few weeks. I’ve been on the road the last few weeks and have not had a chance to review my images yet.
Will also try to get a link posted to the Lilypad Picnic page where you can see the experiences of other Lilypadders through comments, video, and photographs. If you are interested in black bears, northern MN is a wonderful place to visit. So many good people passionate about educating about black bears and supporting the biologists who have dedicated their lives to bears.
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[…] reception of universal intelligence). When I opened the Boundary Waters calendar I bought at the LilyPad Picnic this year, it said that the August Moon was called Miinike-Giizis by the Ojibway — the […]
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It was an amazing day following the North American Bear Center. Lilypad Picnic organizers went to Ely, Minnesota and presented Doc and Sue with a check for the money raised during the July 2011 Lilypad Picnic — $10,000!! It was captured live on the Pondcam at the NABC. I’ll come back later and post a link when the audio version is added.
Here’s the update from today in which Hope was actually collared for a few moments in time! We are hoping she is able to keep the collar on before hunting season starts. Here’s today’s update:
Update August 13, 2011 – 5:45 PM CDT — HOPE COLLARED & UNCOLLARED (LINK)
I hope to make it back to the NABC again before next summer. Maybe a Fall or Winter trip. It’s so beautiful and peaceful there. And I feel like I have many friends. A great town to visit. I am grateful to those who organized the picnic and am looking forward to Lilypad Picnic 2012.
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Decided to add this YouTube link to LilyPad presentation of check on the NABC Poncam this morning. Bear in mind, there is no sound. But you can get the flavor of the surprise at the fact that the Lilypadders raised $10,000 in July 2011 for the NABC. Still can’t get over it.
LILYPAD PRESENTATION OF $10,000 CHECK FROM POND CAM (LINK)
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We are heading out to the Minnesota State Fair today. Around dinner time we are meeting up with some of our local Lilypad BearHead friends! I love how the BearHeads have formed communities in all the different parts of the world where they live. We have another gathering coming up in October in Minnesota to raise money for the research bears. A coming together of community centered around Lily, Hope, & Faith. It gives me a good feeling inside.
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Bear Hunting Season in Minnesota (September 1st through October 16th, 2012) has started and we’re carefully keeping track of what’s going on with the NABC research bears. So far, so good. Many hunters have become friends of the researchers & the bears (see update for Day 2). Thanks to all the volunteers, Doc, & Sue for working to keep the bears safe.
DAY 1: WRI UPDATE: SO FAR, SO GOOD (LINK) – This opening day of bear season is over and Lily, Hope, Faith, June, Juliet, Jo, Braveheart, Ursula, Shirley, and Sharon are okay. We haven’t seen a hunter, although we heard distant shots. We and 7 radio-tracking volunteers gathered at 5 AM to begin monitoring these bears from roads and be available to answer questions from any hunters encountered. (MORE AT THE LINK)
DAY 2: WRI UPDATE: COOKIE LOCATED (LINK) – All research bears are safe, so far. And how a hunter became friends with the researchers & the research bears. (MORE AT THE LINK)
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If you follow Lily, Hope, and Faith, you already know that the yearling Hope has been missing in action for over a week. Though it has not been confirmed, the researchers (Sue & Doc) fear that she may have been shot by a hunter. I am following updates each day; they are still waiting on a response from the MN DNR to confirm. If true, it is a huge loss for those whose hearts are invested in the journey of Lily, Hope, and Faith. Also a huge loss for the researchers who have dedicated their lives to the study of black bears. Hope is special—there is no way to replace her.
I was in Ely, Minnesota yesterday, a day trip with two BearHead friends to deliver a gift to Donna at the NABC from Lily & Hope fans. I took a few quiet moments to sit in the observation area and felt a swelling of sadness (and shed a few tears) at the possible loss of Hope. She was everywhere there. I have not completely given up on Hope reappearing, but it is not looking good. I light a candle and hold the space. Even though I know that you can’t open yourself to love and joy without the possibility of feeling grief and loss, the heart doesn’t play by those rules. It’s been a tough weekend.
Here’s a link to the last update yesterday. For more info, follow the Lily the Black Bear page on Facebook or check out the NABC or WRI sites on the web.
Update September 24, 2011 – 8:12 PM CDT — Hope For The Future (LINK)
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Yesterday’s update on Hope. Nothing for sure yet. But it’s not looking good for the little black bear. She may possibly have been shot by a hunter this season who set up a bait site on private land near the research area where Lily, Hope, and Faith were known to hang out (as of this date, that is not illegal in MN). Nothing has been confirmed for sure. Will post these updates here for a while. Doc & Sue say it so much better than I can.
Update September 25, 2011 – 9:05 PM CDT – Looking For Closure (LINK)
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Heartbreaking to watch—the birth of Hope in Lily’s den, January 22nd, 2010. Shining a candle for Hope:
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I cried my eyes out when I read this update. Hope’s death is such a senseless loss. I have so much respect for Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, the Biologists at the Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center. They have dedicated their lives to the black bears, and walk through the storm with integrity, strength and grace.
We lost Hope, the world’s most famous black bear, to the long arms of a Minnesota hunting season.
RIP, Hope, a beautiful Minnesota black bear.
Born Saturday, January 22nd, 2010 — Died Friday, September 16th, 2011.
_______________
The update from Lynn & Sue at Lily the Black Bear’s Facebook page. And a good article and audio interview with Dr. Lynn Rogers at the CBS MN link below:
Update September 26, 2011 – 8:31 PM CDT – Hope, Hunting & the Media (LINK)
CBS Minnesota: Wildlife Center: Hunter Says ‘I Shot Hope’ (LINK) – September 27th, 2011
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[…] that there are ancient burr oaks, Southern live oaks, slithering snakes, hairy spiders, playful black bears and white winter squirrels. I am grateful that the decisions that matter most are not left in the […]
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UPDATE: The DenCam for Jewel (a three-year-old and one of Lily the Black Bear’s sisters) went live in Ely, Minnesota just hours ago! There will be three live DenCams for the January 2012 season of watching the black bears during the Winter months when they may have cubs. The links are below:
LILY & FAITH LIVE WILD DENCAM 2012!
LIVE WILD DENCAM 2012 — JEWEL, SISTER OF LILY
LIVE DENCAM 2012 — NABC BEARS HONEY & LUCKY
_______________________
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Lots happening with Lily the Black Bear! Jewel should be having cubs soon! Jewel’s Live DenCam is up (LINK), along with two other black bear DenCams (Links in comment above or on our sidebar).
Big News: ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ is going to talk about Jewel tonight on the radio. Garrison Keillor called for a pre-interview chat with Dr. Lynn Rogers (they heard that Garrison only patches in a person by phone about once a year).
Here are a couple of helpful links for more info:
Lily the Black Bear post on Facebook that mentions A Prairie Home Companion: Lily & Faith Back Online! Update January 13, 2012 – 9:07 PM CST (LINK)
A list of stations that will be broadcasting Saturday’s Prairie Home Companion show with Dr. Lynn Rogers (LINK)
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A Prairie Home Companion streaming Live as I type. Dr. Lynn Rogers will be interviewed by Garrison Keillor. You can tune in from anywhere right here at the link: A Prairie Home Companion Live at the Fitzgerald Theater (LINK)
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Breaking News Today: Jewel, Lily’s 3-year-old sister is in labor. New black bear cubs may be born in the next few days. Here are links to the LIVE JEWEL DENCAM and the latest update from researchers Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield:
JEWEL’S LIVE DENCAM — SHE’S IN LABOR! (LINK)
UPDATE: January 14, 2012 – 6:55 PM CST – Jewel In Labor? (LINK)
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[…] to posts: haiku 4 (one-a-day) meets renga 52, MN Black Bear Den Cam: Will Lily Have Cubs?[…]
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Back on this post to add an update. A week has gone by and Jewel the Black Bear has still not had her cubs. I’ve got Jewel’s Den Cam on non-stop this morning, in the background while I go about my day. Bear breaths against the cold are so calming. One of the things I’ve learned over the past few years of watching the bears is how active they are during hibernation. January & February months are the best time to be watching. Hopefully, Jewel will have her cubs soon!
You can follow the updates on the Wildlife Research Institute site at the links below. They post an update every day.
Once again, here are the links to the Den Cams:
Jewel of the Northwoods in Labor (LINK)
Lily & Faith Den Cam (LINK)
Lucky & Honey DenCam, Black Bears and the NABC (LINK)
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Coming back to this post on redRavine when I first began following Lily the Black Bear, the NABC, the WRI, and the work of Dr. Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield. Jewel the black bear had her cubs early this morning, Sunday, January 22nd, 2012! At least two that we know of. Jewel’s DenCam is very active right now. Cubs are nursing, a pileated woodpecker is staking out his territory nearby. Once in a while, we hear a crow caw or the full wind blow across the North Woods.
It’s also the birthday of Hope the Black Bear. She was Lily the Black Bear’s yearling, legally shot by a hunter during hunting season in September 2011. It feels uplifting to have the birth of two new black bear cubs on Hope’s birthday.
Jewel’s births were completely different than Lily the Black Bear. Much quieter and more serene. Here are some links to give you current info on Jewel’s cubs:
Jewel of the Northwoods & her cubs LIVE DenCam (LINK) — Live video stream
Video of Jewel’s 1st cub being born (LINK) — Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 – between 7:22am and 7:25am
Video of Jewel’s 2nd cub being born (LINK) — Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 – between 8:40am and 8:41am
Last update from the WRI from last night: UPDATE: January 21, 2012 – 7:57 PM CST – Working While We Wait (LINK)
Happy viewing! FYI, that Lily & Faith’s DenCam will be down for a while. The WRI borrowed some equipment from Lily’s DenCam to take over to Jewel’s to make it work better. They said it’s been a challenge to keep two DenCams running this year. Grateful for all who support the black bears. To better educate the world on black bears and other wildlife, helps us learn better how humans can coexist with all sentient beings.
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In honor of Hope’s birthday today, I’m reposting this video. Hope was Lily the Black Bear’s yearling, shot (legally) by a hunter September of 2011. Heartbreaking to watch—the birth of Hope in Lily’s den, January 22nd, 2010. Shining a candle for Hope today as we celebrate the birth of two new cubs to Jewel of the Northwoods.
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hi quoinmonkey
i am in the process of making a summer/winter mosaic of cattails for my garden and came across your 08 cattail haiku….never mind its accurate construction and ancient asked-for nuances, i was totally charmed by your visual perception and ability to express it. it rendered this old time haiku writer speechless (writingless?). I am asking your permission to include your words with credit in my winter sky next to the cattails “fluffing their hair”. by the way, i too have watched the bears since the beginning and have spent many happy hours with family in the cloquet-duluth area. please contact me. susan
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susan, thank you so much. Let me get back to you offline this weekend. I’ll email you. I think you are referring to cattail haiku (LINK). I had to go back and take a look as I had not read it in quite a while. I am happy to meet another person who loves the black bears. Have you ever been up in the Ely area? The Duluth/Cloquet area is one of my favorites in the state. Right next to the big Mother Lake, Superior. Will be in touch soon. Thanks again.
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[…] on red Ravine, Wednesday, July 18, 2012. Related to post: MN Black Bear Den Cam: Will Lily Have Cubs? and Jewel Under The Bear Moon […]
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[…] on red Ravine, Tuesday, July 24th, 2012. Related to posts: MN Black Bear Den Cam: Will Lily Have Cubs? and Jewel Under The Bear Moon […]
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