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Lily, Ember, Tasha, Holly, Samantha, Kimani - UPDATE September 11, 2016
11 September 2016
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At 4:20 AM, I arrived to find 2 mothers and 6 cubs intermingling with no mean faces or bad words. When the mothers, Samantha and Kimani (not related) moved off, they went together as if friends. Samantha's female cub
Samantha's female cub

Samantha quickly returned. One of Kimani?s cubs came up and sniffed her. Samantha gave no heed. All peaceful.
Samantha's cubs

But Lily fans remember June chasing Lily shortly after family break-up in the Bearwalker documentary in 2008. This summer, Fern and cubs had to stay up a tree when Fern?s mother Jewel and cubs were present at their shared feeding station. We remember June and Hazel, each with cubs, vocalizing anxiety to each other as they tried to rest separately in the same patch of forest in 2007. That?s why it was a surprise to see Samantha and Kimani getting along so peacefully. Interesting. A data point that tells us how they all have different personalities and form personal alliances that a person can?t always predict.
Holly

Later, a couple of Samantha?s four cubs (a female and a male) posed for pictures high in a white pine. The female was out on a limb, so to speak, and her brother was more of a tree-hugger by the trunk.
At the Bear Center, Tasha and Holly shared Tasha?s enclosure and looked like they were enjoying each other?s company. According to Curator Sharon Herrell: ?Tasha and Holly played in Tasha's den. Holly played with the ball and pink duck. I think she may be just a bit jealous, but that's my own thought. Tasha made a brief appearance near the high falls but didn't come down. Ted enjoyed an enrichment tire and Holly enjoyed the tube. It was interesting to see how cautious Holly was with Ted. It's the same as Tasha being cautious of Lucky and Holly. Earlier in the day as we were walking the fence, Holly appeared in her den area. She was calm and posed for picture taking. Lucky just wants to eat.?
Tasha and Holly

Holly

Holly before breakfast

Then we checked the trail cam where Lily and Ember have been seen so regularly before yesterday. They both came again during the night. I wish we had radio-collars on them to learn what they are doing. Lily is most certainly pregnant and due to den early. Ember, June?s daughter who was orphaned when the DNR, a resident, and a hunter conspired to kill her when the DNR was under orders from Judge John Guthman to discourage hunters from killing radio-collared bears to prevent the DNR from circumventing the upcoming court hearing by simply killing our top study bears. That means Ember had a rough start in life but has done well, thanks to supplemental food from the community, and could also have cubs in January at the age of 3. Lily, of course, will be 9, if you can believe it. How quickly the years have passed since 2010. The pictures aren?t good enough to see dirt in their fur as a clue to den-digging. We remember Blackheart making a den in the fall of 1999 and continuing to visit a community feeding station a mile away for another 4 days before settling in. Then there is June who made a den already on July 19, 2004 to use that fall and give birth to her first litter (Pete and George) that January.
Lily

Lily

Ember

Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
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