Wildlife Research Institute

YOUR DONATION WILL ADVANCE STUDIES OF BLACK BEAR BEHAVIOR, ECOLOGY, AND BEAR-HUMAN RELATIONS THROUGH OUR KINDER, GENTLER RESEARCH METHODS.

LIVING AND LEARNING TOGETHER

In February 2021, Dr. Lynn Rogers placed a DNR-approved den cam to observe the behavior of a black bear denned under the porch of a nearby cabin. The denned bear was thought to be Lily, but, when the camera equipment was in place, it was easy to see the bear was six-year-old Spanky, the last cub of 34 year-old Shadow, the matriarch of the clan that Dr. Rogers has studied for years. Spanky’s den cam, live-streamed on the world wide web, provided the first ever view of a wild male black bear in hibernation!  Volunteers from around the globe watched and recorded minute-by-minute data of Spanky’s denning behavior. The data are being compiled and added to the four decades of data in the longest running and most detailed black bear study and the largest educational outreach program ever done. 

The nonprofit Wildlife Research Institute uses trust rather than traps or tranquilizers to learn far more about black bear life than was thought possible with the old methods. Led by biologist Lynn Rogers, Ph.D., widely known as the Jane Goodall of black bears, WRI researchers combine simple observation with modern technology. The data are changing attitudes.  Old misconceptions are being replaced with scientific facts.  

YOUR DONATIONS WILL HELP CONTINUE AND EXPAND BEAR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Related websites:

www.bearstudy.org

www.facebook.com/lily.the.black.bear

www.bear.org