Lucky’s big splash, Tasha’s portrait and Ted bear.
Bear News – September 17, 2022
Bear fact: Are Black Bears Like Dogs? Dogs have hackles, bears do not. Dogs snarl, bears do not. Bears do not have the range of expressive behaviors that dogs have. Bears do not snarl and do not raise their hackles. Some bears look like their hackles are raised near the end of shedding in late summer, but this is only because the last long hairs to shed are on the back of the neck and shoulders. Read more here.
This week in the news, Lucky decided to take a swim. It’s been a long summer and most of the bears haven’t gone into the pond as often as they have in the past. There really isn’t a logical reason why other than they just didn’t want to. After he splashed and played with his back feet, as only Lucky can do, he sauntered out and shook the water from his coat. A visitor got a great picture and showed it to me. I was answering another question and didn’t get the chance to ask him to share it with me. Lucky has slowed down and is rejecting some of his dinner. He is sleeping more and doesn’t mind staying in for the Behind-the-Scenes tours.
There was a beautiful opportunity to get a picture of Tasha in the flowers above the falls. One of our moderators got a nice picture but she had moved before I got to the deck. Her rich sleek coat is beginning to add undercoat fur and make her look bigger. She is a gorgeous bear and very photogenic. I was able to get one later as she sat by the “preaching rock”.
Holly is settling down in the bunker den. We’ve kept her in because there is work planned in the big enclosure and all the bears will need to be in their individual pens. Since she tends to den earlier than the other bears, we want to be sure we catch her before she goes into a dug den. Be sure to tune in to our LIVE broadcast on Wednesday, September 21 at 11:30am CT for more details. The shade and the way she Holly sits are the best conditions for taking pictures but I did get a couple to share.
Ted has had his share of raven problems this year. The large, feathered beasts wait until Ted is resting and then plucks the shedding fur from his coat. Could it be that Ted ‘s new coat, growing in under his shedding layer, is just shiny enough to attract this behavior?
Common Ravens are known to steal and cache shiny objects such as pebbles, pieces of metal, and golf balls. One theory is that they hoard shiny objects to impress other ravens. Raven behavior is often described as clever, cunning, fun, smart and witty.
His coat is growing nicely; the other bears are also growing their winter coats.
The online auction sponsored by the Northwoods Bear Foundation runs until September 18 at 3pm CT. It is wonderful to see all the generous bids so far. Many thanks to all the bidders and the Northwoods Bear Foundations for hosting this event to benefit the North American Bear Center. Click here to see all the auction items available.
Our Hibernation Contest is underway, check out all the details on our Facebook page and post your guesses. You could win some cool prizes.
Our Amazon Wishlist is still up and running. Please feel free to continue to purchase and send cranberries, cherries, and nuts.
Thank you for all you do,
Sr. Bear Keeper, Sharon Herrell
