Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to IWS Eagle Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Chat - Thursday, December 29th, 2011.; Have a fun day peeps!
Topic Started: Dec 29 2011, 05:07 AM (981 Views)
Artsy Mom
Member Avatar
Eagle Guardian
Lily the Black Bear - Update December 29, 2011

Suckling


Posted Image
Lily licking Faith

We hadn’t a clue. We installed a den cam in Lily’s den thinking we would likely just see 2 sleeping bears. Ho-hum. But we’ve already learned more than we ever imagined.

Last year, we watched as Hope suckled on Lily in the weeks before the cubs were born. We speculated the suckling might be related to changes in Lily’s body as she prepared to give birth and that Hope might actually be ‘getting’ something. In other words, we thought it might be due to the unusual situation of a yearling denning with a pregnant mother. Now we are questioning that thought.

Posted Image :clk:
Lily licking snow

We now suspect Hope’s suckling behavior last winter, prior to the birth of cubs, was normal. This year we hear Faith suckling several times a day. But we question whether Faith is actually getting milk. The suckling may simply be for comfort, bonding, or some reason we haven’t thought of. We haven’t see evidence of milk production in the den of any mother with yearlings.

In May of 2006, we closely observed June’s 2 yearlings suckling and realized they were actually getting some milk. Not a lot—June’s mammary glands weren’t even swollen—but what little they were getting was thick and creamy. Two years later, we spent a lot of time with June and her 3 yearlings after they left the den. We found that June didn’t start producing milk until the family had been out of the den for about 10 days. And, again, it was a very limited amount. We observed her yearlings nursing right up to family breakup.

Posted Image :clk:
Ted in his peaceful den!

We watched today as Lily licked snow that has accumulated in the den. We hadn’t noticed the snow in the very bottom of the den cam image until we saw her licking. As she stretched to reach the snow we noticed there was also snow on her well-insulated back. The area they are bedded in is directly below one of the small openings into the den.

Donna Andrews snapped this picture today of Ted in his den enjoying peacel and solitude. So unlike the tension that surfaces from time to time Honey and Lucky’s den! Nice to see Ted.

Thank you for all you do!

—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Artsy Mom
Member Avatar
Eagle Guardian
<::: If you get an email titled: Your Discover Card Has Been Limited ! <:::

It is a fraud...do not follow directions...Delete it Immediately!!!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · Daily Chat · Next Topic »
Add Reply