Tuesday 19 January 2010

Bearcam!


Deep in the wilds of northern Minnesota, in the good ol' US of A, a black bear named Lily is about to do what momma bears have been doing for millions of years but which has never before been observed in the wild. In a snug den, safe from the cold and snow, Lily is about to give birth - on camera. Professor Lynn Rogers has been studying bears for decades, gradually earning their trust, till finally he was able to install a webcam in Lily's den.

The signs are good. Lily is the right age, well fed in preparation for winter and appears to be heavily pregnant. Visit her at:

Lily's den-cam

Who knows? You may be among the first to see one of Nature's little miracles.
Read more at the North American Bear Center and at the BBC.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very cool! I did see her move a little. I'll keep coming back! Thanks for posting!

Andy Holroyd said...

Earlier today when I looked she was very active. Facing the camera she reached up to pull some of the loose stuff further in, had a scrat and a yawn and snuggled down again. Brilliant!

dave hambidge said...

I'm on my way there, PDQ.

Andy Holroyd said...

I just tripped across a documentary with Lynn Rogers on BBC iPlayer. It's about a different bear, and I've only seen the first 10mins or so, but it may give an insight into the work.

Anonymous said...

I repeatedly check in on her. They say she's very close!

Andy Holroyd said...

I keep going back too. I'm just waiting for the doula to arrive.

Andy Holroyd said...

Well done Lily. I was asleep and missed it but Lily has given birth to a single cub (so far as anyone can tell). They are resting now and I can't see baby but I'll keep checking back. Congratulations Lily!

dave hambidge said...

They reckon 14,000 folk were online watching out for the event!

Just now, Lily seems very setlled and barely breathing (barely, oh never mind...)

Andy Holroyd said...

I just heard young one squeaking and chattering. Then Lily moved and baby settled down. I hope she wasn't laid on top of it :)

dave hambidge said...

Same report as you gave last evening Andy!

Just think about the technolgy involved here. The den is some 5000 miles away and we get LIVE visual and audio feed. We forget, at our peril, the wonders of the internet, IMHO...

Andy Holroyd said...

We do tend to take the technology for granted, amazing as it is. What astounds me is the skill and dedication of the guys who put the cam in place.

Andy Holroyd said...

Lily is very quiet just now, and it looks as if there has been a heavy snowfall. She has snow on her back!

dave hambidge said...

The snow has been slowly accumulating since about mid-morning britland time. It all looks bloody cold!

Andy Holroyd said...

I just had another visit, it still looks snowy. Top mum is keeping the young 'un warm, fed and clean. No one has seen baby yet though.

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