Play, Foot Pads, and Break-up - UPDATE February 22, 2016
Lily sniffs the air while Faith follows - May 6, 2012
Lily and Faith days before break-up - May 6, 2012

In this 7 ? -minute video captured by a Lily Fan about 10:45 AM today, Holly decides it is time for Lucky to wake up and play. He does, almost defensively, but later looks worn out until he gets a second wind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BixnQwGuxQE&feature=youtu.beI saw questions about black bears shedding foot pads and wanted to include this reference which was my first peer-reviewed paper: Rogers, L. L. 1974. Shedding of foot pads by black bears during denning. Journal of Mammalogy 55(3):672-674. Why do they shed them? I can only guess. What I think is that they thicken but remain pliable through the active period but become stiff over winter. In mid-winter, they begin removing them with their teeth, and they complete the job by emergence in spring when the new foot pads are tender. I?m wondering if older bears that are less flexible, like Ted and Honey, have trouble reaching their foot pads with their teeth, especially the rear pads, which could explain why they don?t walk as agilely as usual.
I also saw questions about family break-up and saw the nicest compilation of information about it I?ve ever seen. Betty Beauchamp put it together from the updates and added pictures?a big job that she did for Lily Fans. She did similar treatments of many subjects of interest. Thank you, Betty.
Click here to see as PDF or you can Click here to see on Facebook.
And a thank you to all Lily Fans for all you do that carry us beyond what otherwise would be possible.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center