It’s very cold in Townsend and at ABR today – there was snow but not as much as expected. Snow turned to sleet and then to rain, but it’s still cold (32) and forecast says colder tonight!
Yesterday, the cubs visited the new Retired Christmas Trees. Curators hope that putting them where Twinkle was pacing will help to reduce that behavior.
They seem to dislike each other, as shown by swats and hisses, but still are foraging close to each other (go figure). There is food scattered everywhere, so that’s not the reason.
Twinkle loves the new trees. The needles are good for scratching itches, and the fragrance is delightful!
Tinsel loves pine trees, too!
We humans like the evergreen smell. We can’t imagine what it’s like to a black bear with their awesome sense of smell!
Tinsel went to bed in her culvert den.
Twinkle stayed busy for a while. She foraged, tried sleeping in her own den, and finally snuck in Tinsel’s back door. There the two cubs stayed for the rest of the night.
Twinkle was the first to get up and was greeted by snow! Although the cubs had not experienced snow before, it didn’t bother her a bit!
Soon she was back to The Forbidden Tree.
She still can’t climb it!
She headed back to the Culvert Den.
She passed by Tinsel but ignored her completely.
Back to the den she went, for a short nap.
Later, both cubs were up in the same tree.
Twinkle decided to climb higher.
Snow fell on Tinsel as she sat on her branch.
Then she, too, decided to climb higher in the tree.
Almost three hours later, they were still there! We wonder when they decided to come down and hope they came down to snuggle in the Culvert Den.