March 16, 2010 - (Hope Alone 6th Time) Part 4 of 4 - Lily and Hope
9:57 March 16, 2010
Pets & Animals
gypsylinda
Video editing and comments by Linda Gibson (a fan).
http://www.bear.org
Lily is a wild Black Bear who at 3 years old had her first cub on Friday, January 22, 2010.
On March 16th, Lily left the den to get more bedding. Hope was all alone in that great big den for over 40 minutes! This is part 4 of 4.
A viewing from February 3rd http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwV1EbvL18o showed the cub rolling on her back. Researchers studied that clip and felt 90% sure that it was a girl...until the cub proved them wrong, they said. :)
A viewing from February 20th http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhmZYfai0JA gave them even more confirmation that she is a she. Their update at Bear.org http://www.bear.org/website/visit-us/lily-updates/277-update-february-21-2010-1256-pm-cst-.html explains how they determined this.
Female bears stay in the area for life, whereas males move away in 1 to 2 years. The researchers will be able to continue their studies on this little cub if their analysis is correct.
Cubs are born hairless and weigh only 1/2 to 1 lb at birth. This cub will stay with it's mother for about 17 months, hibernating with her next winter.
A long-term study of black bear ecology and behavior is being conducted by the Wildlife Research Institute http://www.bearstudy.org near Ely, Minnesota, less than 30 miles from the Canadian border.
On January 8th, a PixController video camera was installed in Lily's den by trusted researchers. The incredible show of trust by Lily is demonstrated in the cam installation video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCxTyHCvpfA At night, passive infrared light allows us to watch Lily 24/7 without disturbing her.
Thousands of people watch Lily as she labored and gave birth and the numbers grow as more people learn of this rare insight into the life of the amazing black bear.
Visit the Bear Center's website to watch the live cam feed. http://www.bear.org
Please, remember to donate at www.bear.org to help with this incredible research program.
