Shadow at 35, Jewel at 13 - UPDATE June 25, 2022
Shadow - 35 years old
Yesterday at dawn, I saw a bear in the distance with a light face and an odd movement of its left hind leg. Shadow? Was it really her face and gait? Then near sundown I saw a similarly light face but with the setting sun lighting it too brightly. I wasn’t sure. In photoshop, I removed some of the glare. Shadow! I compared her face with a picture from a couple years ago. No doubt! Plus, she showed her skittish personality. She has had more time than any bear in this area to lose her anxiety and build trust, but she can’t seem to do that. Cautious as usual, she eyed me from a distance and disappeared into the woods. It wasn’t a location and situation she had learned to semi-trust.
Jewel
Jewel - 13 years old
Jewel w/3 cubs
Jewel w/3 cubs
On the other hand, Eagles Nest Community’s annual picnic was held today with 13-year-old Jewel and her sixth litter of cubs up a tree less than a hundred feet away. In some communities people would have said ‘Oh My Gosh! It’s a mother with cubs! What can we do?’ In this community, it was not a concern. People are accustomed to seeing bears. A few people snapped pictures. Most others went about socializing as usual. People who had followed the den cams back in 2012 and 2013 were excited to learn that this was the mother they had watched give birth and raise Fern and Herbie. This time, she was with three cubs whose sexes are still unknown. The picture of Jewel on the ground was after most people had left and she heard the voice of someone she knew and felt safe coming down. People sent the pictures from their cell phones.
A fun day.
Thank you for all you do,
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center