After deploying my five wildlife cameras into a nearby forest, three weeks ago, I went back yesterday to check the cameras and collect the memory cards. Several cameras were askew, hinting that some critters were trying to interfere – and capturing a selfie in the process. You’ll see several of those in this month’s videos! You’ll see bears – lots of bears – deer, coyote, and a new animal I’ve never seen before. Up first: a doe and her fawn. Warning: don’t watch this video unless you can handle massive cuteness!
Next up: black bears, and bear cubs. It’s a little hard to tell, but there are at least two distinct adult bears, and two bear cubs, in this video. The two bear cubs are accompanied by mama bear – who, sadly, is limping with a severe injury.
A local bear expert, when showed my video of the injured bear, offered me some reassurance: “Little can be done with adult bears or old injuries, but bears are very resilient. I have seen bears with compound fractures, [heal] over the stub without infection and the leg drops off leaving a three legged bear. I’ve seen three legged bears mate and raise cubs. The best that can be done is to observe, my bets are that she will be okay. As a female she will live out her life in that area.”
The final episode exhibits some of the other critters who walked by – or tampered with – my cameras. The pair of coyotes were beautiful to watch, but the most exciting is a new creature making its first appearance in my videos: a weasel of some sort. Any guesses?
For those who want more, see the wildlife camera tag for links to more.
David Kotz 