A black bear encounter the safe way (dialysis related)

An unforgettable experience
A black bear encounter the safe way
Originally published April 12, 2009

By Dan Neuland
Special to the News-Post

ALLEGANY COUNTY — Wild black bears are magnificent creatures and a close encounter with one is an unforgettable experience. Recently, I had such an experience in Green Ridge State Forest that involved not one, but four black bears at close range -- close enough to touch.

As part of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' annual survey of black bear dens, I was privileged to accompany a wildlife management team to Allegany County in search of a hibernating sow (adult female bear) that had been previously captured and released with a radio collar.

"Currently, we have 16 bears that have radio collars and we will try to check each one before they come out of hibernation," explained Harry Spiker, DNR biologist. "The goal is an effort to determine black bear reproductive rates and how well the overall bear population is doing."

The research team included several DNR biologists and officials from DNR's Wildlife and Heritage Service, two Maryland Zoo veterinarians and a John Hopkins kidney research specialist. I was fortunate as a member of the media to be invited, along with Mike Sawyer from the Cumberland Times-News and television anchorman Alex DeMetrick, from TV station WJZ, in Baltimore.

Safety first

Spiker, the bear project leader, carefully planned the activity with safety in mind. He explained how his bear management team would first chemically immobilize the sow with a dart before the rest of the research team and the media would be allowed to approach the den.

"The bear will control the timeline. Expect to wait a while for us to get the sow immobilized É once she's immobilized, we'll call you up to the den where you can help with the cub tagging," instructed Spiker.

As his team loaded the dart guns and necessary gear, Spiker assured us that we could handle the cubs without fear of leaving human scent. A masking agent will be applied to the cub's fur and to the mother's nose before the bears are returned to their den. When the mother awakens, she will lick the cubs clean, removing the masking agent and all traces of human scent.

The subject bear is not a stranger to Spiker's team. This same bear was checked during the 2007 den survey. The bear weighed 208 pounds and had three cubs. Now, she is 9 years old and most likely with another litter of cubs.

Sows are pregnant when they den in the fall, usually in October. In January, they give birth in the den. The mother bear licks the cubs clean, keeps them warm and moves into positions to make it easier for them to nurse. The bear family will leave the den during April.

As we waited quietly on the roadside, I learned more about Maryland bear management from Bob Beyer, DNR Wildlife and Heritage official and Mount Airy resident. Beyer has attended the annual bear den surveys for many years and answered questions concerning what happens after the research team leaves and the sedative wears off. "To be sure that the sow awakens in a timely fashion and does not abandon the den, the DNR staff visit the den that afternoon and the next day," he said. "Occasionally, a mother bear will leave the den and relocate. If any cubs are left behind we can find the mother and possibly reunite the cubs with the sow or find a surrogate mother bear.

"Bears can't count and they have strong maternal instincts that allow us to add cubs to an existing family," he added.

Cuddling cubs

When we received word that the mother was sedated, we walked quickly to the den site. I had never seen an active bear den and I was curious about its appearance.

This was an excavated den, dug into the side of a hill, under the roots of a fallen tree. The entrance was surprisingly small, no more than 20 inches in diameter. It could easily be mistaken for a large groundhog or fox hole from the outside but appeared to be dry and comfortable inside.

I was directed uphill of the den to the where the cubs were being handled. Three adorable cubs, two females and one male, were checked by the veterinarians and found to be healthy. Each cub weighed between 5 and 6 pounds, and had pale-blue eyes and light-gray muzzles. One of the female cubs had a distinctive white blaze on her chest. This most likely was the first time the cubs were out of their den.

I had the pleasure of holding the cubs after they were given ear tags and an imbedded microchip for identification. We were told to handle the cubs with care, either close to our body or to lift them by the scruff of their neck/back. The mother bear picks her cubs up this way so they are used to it.

Holding the cubs was the best part of the day. Their fur was ultra soft and a bit dusty from their earthen den. Sharp claws grabbed my jacket as a cub climbed toward my shoulder. The cubs were not aggressive and very trusting of their temporary captors. They instinctively climb upward, a practice that keeps them from being squished by their mother in the den.

Gathering samples and data

Meanwhile, the researchers were working with the mother bear checking vital signs, taking blood and DNA samples and other tests. The radio collar, which lasts only two years, was replaced with a new one. The bear was rolled onto a gurney and weighed. Interestingly, the sow weighed 208 pounds, the same weight as in 2007.

John Hopkins' researcher Dr. David Spector was taking blood samples to aid in his study of kidneys. Apparently, a bear's bladder has the unique ability of absorbing urine during hibernation, a fact that intrigues Spector, who believes this phenomenon could possibly help human kidney dialysis patients. Spector came prepared. He used a generator on the roadside to power a centrifuge to spin the blood samples immediately after we returned to the vehicles.

Dr. Ellen Bronson and Dr. Rebecca Gullott, both veterinarians from the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, made observations of the similarities and differences between captive and wild bears. "Interestingly, the wild bear had tartar build-up on her teeth, similar to what we see on captive animals," Bronson noted.

Before long, the team had completed their study. The only thing left to do was to try to get the bear back into the den. Not an easy task to push a 200-pound bear through a small hole in the side of the hill. After some work, the bear was "mostly" in the den. As I left, the masking agent was applied to the cub's fur and the sow's nose before the cubs were carefully placed behind the mother.

As promised, the den was checked the following day and Spiker sent out an e-mail to let everyone know the sow and cubs were doing fine.

It is obvious to me that DNR wildlife biologists are professionals who really care for bears. Spiker e-mailed me last week with this: "We had a cool account yesterday of a cub that had been orphaned -- turned out to be a cub that we handled, but did not ear tag it because it was too small. It had a PIT transmitter, though, which enabled us to identify the cub. We then were able to locate the radio-collared mother and reunite them. It's nice to have a happy ending sometimes."

(Contact Dan Neuland at steeliedan@xecu.net.)

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