There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
Tracking Gobi Grizzlies.
Looking around, I saw that my window for close-up observation was about to close. The crew was preparing to hoist the female off the ground with a rope tied to a scale. We didn't have a lot of time to squander. It can take an hour and a half for an immobilized bear to get up. Then again, it can take as little as thirty minutes, depending on the individual animal's metabolism and the precision of the dosage it received. Whenever a grizzly starts coming out of its stupor, you don't want to be playing with its toes.
The scale gave a reading of 207 pounds, a heavy April weight for a young but sexually mature female mazaalai that had spent a long winter in a den living off her fat reserves. Enlarged nipples indicated that she had been nursing cubs. We saw no sign of the offspring. If two-year olds, they might have become independent of her early in the spring. If they were new cubs or yearlings, they had more likely perished. Then again, it was possible that the female had somehow hidden them away while she alone visited the trap. We'd been wondering how the drought that began the previous year might be affecting bears. Although it may have reduced this one's ability to provide enough milk to nourish her young, she seemed in good overall condition - solid with muscle, rather than bony.
Bears of the Himalayan Mountains
