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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 15, 2012 14:33:01 GMT -5
As reported by the Bear Guy on the show yesterday, 3-year old black bear Jewel is in labor. Apparently they give birth while hibernating. He said she should deliver this afternoon. Here is the link: www.bear.org/livecams/jewel-den-cam.php
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Post by gailkate on Jan 15, 2012 15:39:53 GMT -5
Yes, I was listening yesterday, too in and out to post, but I did immediately check out Jewel's den. She was moaning a bit now and then and i think he said she'd probably give birth this afternoon. Right now she is curled up and making no sound, so maybe this is a respite. Remember when lilly had twins? What a treat!
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Post by Jane on Jan 15, 2012 17:04:24 GMT -5
She seems to be sleeping now. Maybe she's had an epidural.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 15, 2012 17:22:18 GMT -5
A little while ago, she stretched out and put her nose right up by the camera, snoozing on.
She did "check down there" a couple of times.
So, how will we know when she gives birth? Will she just point the way to a teat, curl up and continue sleeping?
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 15, 2012 17:57:13 GMT -5
She seems to be sleeping now. Maybe she's had an epidural. Yes, she was much more active earlier.
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Post by gailkate on Jan 15, 2012 20:33:45 GMT -5
Darn. I've missed any kind of active. She doesn't appear to me to be thinking about babies at all. She appears to be hibernating. This Lynn Rogers guy is really famous and something of an idol around here, but what if he's wrong about her being pregnant? What if millions of us spend the winter glued to monitors while she just snoozes?
When Lily had her cubs there was lots of moving around. They nursed, got stuck under her, tripped over each other - no question at all when they made their arrival.
Aha! I just checked another part of the bears.org site and learned this. Newborn cubs are smaller, relative to their mother's size, than the young of any other placental mammal. They are totally dependent on their mothers. Newborn cubs have little fur, weigh less than a pound, and can barely crawl. Three cubs is the most common litter size around Ely. So I guess we really might not get a good look at them for awhile. It says by the end of Feb. they'll be 2-3 lbs.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 15, 2012 21:49:59 GMT -5
My Adobe Reader just burned out. I can't get the video back up. I only had it on for 3-1/2 hours.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 15, 2012 21:52:23 GMT -5
I just shut down and rebooted, and now I'm back on, listening to Jewel snore. She was moving a lot when I lost the picture.
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Post by jspnrvr on Jan 16, 2012 7:30:30 GMT -5
I just shut down and rebooted, and now I'm back on, listening to Jewel snore. She was moving a lot when I lost the picture. Sounds like the kind of thing a marriage counselor hears all the time. If this was a guy talking I'd say he and Jewel had "issues".
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 16, 2012 12:02:40 GMT -5
;D Man, Jewel is right up leaning on the camera lens and grooming. This really isn't my idea of hibernating.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 18, 2012 0:00:24 GMT -5
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Post by gailkate on Jan 18, 2012 11:54:09 GMT -5
She's moving a lot, scratched her nose, washed paws, some huffing, but still kind of nonchalant.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 19, 2012 1:41:51 GMT -5
She's just sleeping now. It is pretty late.
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Post by gailkate on Jan 19, 2012 10:07:12 GMT -5
Much scratching and grooming now. She's restless and for all I know there are tiny cubss hidden somewhere, but I think the site would announce the births just as soon as they occur.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 20, 2012 0:28:45 GMT -5
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Post by rogesgallery on Jan 20, 2012 4:37:36 GMT -5
She's just sleeping now. It is pretty late. Yes it is January. She has to be up by, what...April? ;D
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 21, 2012 0:38:47 GMT -5
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 21, 2012 14:25:47 GMT -5
Well, she's really moving around right now, grooming and rubbing her whole body on the side of the den.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 21, 2012 14:30:51 GMT -5
And now half out of the lower den and leaning on the camera lens, so the picture is one-hair-at-a-time.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 22, 2012 16:55:27 GMT -5
They haven't announced that Jewel gave birth, but it sure sounds like there is a cub in there with her.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 22, 2012 22:46:18 GMT -5
Well, no wonder the den has been so noisy today. There are TWO cubs. They just posted this: www.bearstudy.org/website/research/daily-updates/1517-cubs-born-at-722-and-840-am-.htmlJust before I read this, I saw Jewel move a cub in her mouth, his head and shoulders carefully held. She looked at the camera while she was moving him. They call it "humming" when the cubs are nursing happily. It sounds to me like tiny strokes back-n-forth with a hand saw. They are whiny! Whoever started the rumor that cubs are born while Mom is hibernating, she doesn't know it, and they all wake up happily in April was a MAN!!!!! ;D
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Post by gailkate on Jan 23, 2012 1:11:30 GMT -5
Yay, Jewel! I never heard the handsaw sound, as there was so much washing and nursing. Isn't it amazing how much tiny cubs sound like tiny humans? I'm as mesmerized as I've been by all the birthings the internet has let us watch - all alone and utterly competent, these Mamas know exactly what they're doing. Instinct is miraculous.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 23, 2012 22:18:27 GMT -5
I check into Jewel's camera whenever I am at home, and just leave it up while I am doing other things, with the sound on.
A screaming cub now, and Jewel pays attention.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 23, 2012 22:23:12 GMT -5
Yay, Jewel! I never heard the handsaw sound, as there was so much washing and nursing. Isn't it amazing how much tiny cubs sound like tiny humans? I'm as mesmerized as I've been by all the birthings the internet has let us watch - all alone and utterly competent, these Mamas know exactly what they're doing. Instinct is miraculous. It is amazing how much tiny cubs sound like tiny humans. I've listened enough that I know when to come watch the picture by the sounds.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 24, 2012 0:30:19 GMT -5
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Post by gailkate on Jan 24, 2012 1:01:46 GMT -5
One or the other does that about every 8-10 minutes. They are very demanding little rascals. Jewel seems adept at twitching a bit to aim the noisy cub to milk, but she can't be getting much sleep. Poor thing, it's going to be a long couple (three?) months till she can take them outside and let them play till they're tired out. Of course, thankfully, she doesn't know much about time and can't foresee what a long row she has to hoe.
Sometimes they sound like creeking doors, and I've heard unmistakable burps.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 24, 2012 10:15:30 GMT -5
Burps, indeed. It's pretty darn entertaining to have this window into "hibernation." I didn't ever think that meant 10-minute cat naps.
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 25, 2012 10:07:45 GMT -5
They are calling the one cub a "screamer."
;D
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Post by BoatBabe on Jan 26, 2012 22:48:00 GMT -5
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Post by rogesgallery on Jan 26, 2012 23:14:57 GMT -5
I should put up a Hiber-cam. Guaranteed I won't be laboring but you might catch me fantasizing about the precursors.
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