Lily the Black Bear and Family – Hope and Faith play – April 20, 2011
Hope and Faith play by a birch tree with Hope laying on her back as Faith lunges and climbs on top of her. Lily visits the camera, making filming tough as she sniffs and blocks the view. Very cute footage! ~~~~~ Lynn Rogers, Ph.D., regarded by many as the “Jane Goodall” of black bears, has spent over 44 years learning about wildlife and sharing his information with the public. Using airplanes, vehicles and snowshoes, he has radio-tracked over 100 bears in the vast forests of northeastern Minnesota, studying some for as long as 22 years. Lily is a wild black bear who is part of Dr. Rogers’ long-term study of black bear ecology and behavior at the Wildlife Research Institute. On January 8, 2010, Dr. Rogers installed a live video camera in Lily’s winter den near Ely, Minnesota, so the public could share in the birth and care of her cub. Dr. Rogers, along with his research associate Sue Mansfield, and tens of thousands from around the world watched on the Internet, spending a sleepless night as bouts of labor continued for 21 hours and 39 minutes. Finally, on January 22 at 11:38 AM CST, Lily made some contortions, looked under her, and began the intense, sweet grunts that mothers make only to their cubs. A loud squawk from a single female cub made it definite. Lily tucked her head under her chest to care for and breathe on the cub to warm her. This was the first time the birth of a wild black bear has been viewed live on the Internet. Lily and Hope are proving to be the best …
Tags: Bear Center, black bear, cub, ely, faith, Hope, Lily, Lynn Rogers, minnesota, NABC, Play, research, WRI
Thank you, Lily, for the gorgeous close-ups!
Oh, I love it!! Lily says that she wants to be in the limelight since she is the mommie..lol..
That is one beautiful bear family! Hope and Faith playing together just touches my heart. Thank you for sharing your world of bears!
There’s nothing better than a big sister!
ADORABLE!! What I give to have Lily’s long eyelashes!! BEAUTIFUL LILY! <3<3
again this was wondeful to see.. awww.. Hope is going to have some fun playing with Faith. so sweet! Thank you for this video..
You guys always manage to get the most incredible shots of the family, thank you so much for the joy you bring. x
If this were any cuter I think I’d burst!!!! They are truly beautiful creatures.
Is Jason O.K. ?
I love watching Hope with Faith. She plays with her without being too rough and seems to know her limits with her little sister. I think Hope is going to be a wonderful mother when it’s her time. Thank you all for the smiles you bring when you share these pictures and videos with us!
@CreekValleyCritters Jason died on April 12th. Cause is not yet known.
I miss watching them every day on the den cam. I miss hearing the little “motor” noises and Lily’s reassuring “woots”. These updates keep me from going into complete withdrawl. Thanks.
Love these video’s of my favorite bears!
So relaxing to watch …suddenly the video was done …what a delightful segment!!!
Faith put a totally sweet spin to the term ‘Clingon’ ;-]) the little darlin’
thanks for sharing these precious moments
Is it possible to know if Faith, Hope or Lily miss Jason? I know dogs grieve. It’s still very sad thinking of little Jason. Hope that you can learn what was the causes of his death. The Rainbow Bridge website is a beautiful place to remember little Jason. Such a beautiful family they bring us so much joy. Thank you Lynn & Sue for all you do for the bears and sharing it with us.
This has to be one of the most delightful videos I have ever seen. And I have watched every one of them, last year and this year. Yes it seems incomplete without wee Jason there too, but we have to be gald that our girls are all doing well and you know, I feel so happy for Hope, that this happy family time is making up for the days last year when she was alone. And Lily’s lovely gentle eyes close up in the camera was a bonus. LOL
LILY HOPE AND FAITH, SURE SEEM TO BE DOING GREAT. THAT IS SO WONDERFULL TO SEE. ONE PAPPY FAMILY.LITTLE FAITH SURE DOSE LIKE HOPE. MADE MY DAY TO A GREAT START. THANKS FOR ALL THAT ALL OF YOU DO FOR US.
It does bring a tear of joy to the eyes., Thank you for having these
Lily sure is nosy! I guess she wants her camera time too. They sure are a joy to watch. Hope & Faith play so good together. Thanks for posting.
I like how Lily got infront as if “um…..hellloooooo? remember me?” My Compliments to Doc & Sue, et al on how far their video taking skills have developed. Great Job
I love viewing the videos! Where we have seasonal spot in Wisconsin we have “Camp bears” one was on our deck last summer. We have bee to the Bear Center and it is so very nice.