Sleepy Lucky, Tasha just fits, hours change.
Bear weights this week:
Ted NA, Lucky 497 lbs., Holly 355 lbs., Tasha 375 lbs.
Bear News – September 3, 2022
Bear fact: Bears display emotions and have facial expressions. Bears smile, get angry, show concern and curiosity, display fear, anxiety, contentment, and happiness. Throughout the displays inside the bear center, Dr. Rogers has photographs displaying the many facial expressions made by bears.
I think I can safely say a couple of our bears are moving into fall transition. As you know there are 5 Stages of Hibernation and Activity.
Stage 5—Fall transition is a period after hyperphagia when metabolic processes change in preparation for hibernation. Bears voluntarily eat less but continue to drink to purge body wastes. They become increasingly lethargic, resting 22 or more hours per day, often near water. Active heart rates fall from 80-100 per minute to 50-60 per minute and sleeping heart rates fall from 66-80 per minute to less than 22 per minute. Read more about the 5 Stages of Hibernation and Activity
This week Lucky has shown how he can be happy and also how he can be sleepy. Our interns snapped a picture of Lucky resting with his head on a log. He didn’t look very comfortable but he seemed content with himself. As we watched, he gently opened his eyes to perhaps see if we were still watching him, and we were. His eyes closed and his body never flinched. He is one secure bear.
Holly has been disappearing for hours. We know she has found a denning spot but are not sure where it is. On a morning perimeter check we looked at the old dug den now collapsed. There were recent paw marks, perhaps one of them has at least checked it for renovations. Only time will tell.
Tasha continually watches for Holly and waits for her to chase her. She has also been checking out the bunker dens. Is she thinking it may be good to den there? That would actually be a good area for her but we will wait and see. The bunkers have always been a popular spot for denning but we only have two and I don’t think Lucky or Holly want a roomie. Tasha has also been sitting in the hole Lucky dug on the mound. She fits in it and it’s fun to see her half submerged as the sandy loam cools her bottom.
Ted bear has had his troubles with pesky ravens. The young ones are cocky and they aren’t afraid of us. We are finding holes in Ted’s dinner bowls. I know he isn’t responsible for them but I think the ravens are. The tuna must leave a residual smell and they are hungry. In any case Ted got two new bowls.
The upcoming silent auction sponsored by friends at the Northwoods Bear Foundation will go online September 12-18. Many items will go up for auction, so please check it out. The auction proceeds will be used towards the fencing and new bear enclosures.
Thank you for the many donations of cherries and cranberries, our needs now are for tree nuts.
Tree nuts include hazelnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and walnuts. Your bear food donations are much appreciated, the bears enjoy them all.
Our Fall hours begin on September 6th. We will be open daily from 10:00am-4:00pm daily. The bears will still eat breakfast at 10am but dinner will be at 3:00pm.
Thank you for all you do,
Sr. Bear Keeper, Sharon Herrell
