Li'l Smokey's Rehabilitation Blog

Saving Li'l Smokey Now Available

Adam and Celeste Deem just let us know that copies of Saving Li'l Smokey are now available for purchase! Click the link below to order your copy today. ($11.99 + tax and shipping)

Our Other Residents

This is an orphaned Steller's Jay chick, so young it hasn't grown feathers or opened its eyes yet!

Two orphan Chickaree Squirrels, who both have cataracts in their right eyes -- we assume this is a genetic anomaly for the siblings. They're otherwise healthy (and hungry) little guys.

A baby Bald Eagle. Bald eagles do not develop their distinctive white head feathers until they reach maturity, usually in their fifth year.

One of the two orphaned Coyote pups at LTWC, peeking around the opening of its den (a crate).

These shots of the pups were taken  a few days after the one above, after they had been moved into a larger enclosure, full of lots of straw for them to nestle into. They're either camera-shy or really, really comfortable in there.

Two of four orphan Barn Owls at LTWC. Barn owls have been given a variety of unsettling nicknames, such as "ghost owl," "demon owl," and "death owl," likely because they make a hissing noise that sounds (to me) like a haunted snake pit. Despite these names, they are excellent mousers, and an important part of our ecosystem.

This is an orphan River Otter, getting his close-up. Thanks to LTWC board member Helen Tanner for holding him -- the little guy won't sit still for a second on his own! Baby river otters love to play -- and playing actually plays a vital role in their development.

This little guy is still small enough that he stays indoors. But he'll soon be able to enjoy LTWC's River Otter rehab cage -- the only one in California.

If you'd like to see a young River Otter in action, check out this video of another orphaned otter LTWC raised a couple of years ago.

Here, Cheryl is managing to keep the otter still long enough to get him to eat. Although he seems to be enjoying his milk, he'd actually rather be playing.

Spring 2009 Quill Online

We've just posted the Spring 2009 Quill online. The Quill is LTWC's newsletter, and it is packed full of news about what's happening at LTWC, including stories about Li'l Smokey, the new bears, and some of the other wildlife currently at LTWC; LTWC events and happenings, the LTWC wish list and annual report, and wildlife trivia.

You can also find past issues of the Quill online at http://www.ltwc.org/Quill.html.

To have new issues of the Quill emailed to you, please email me at karen@ltwc.org.

Enjoy!

Yosemite Bears!

Here is our first photo of the bears you haven't seen on webcam yet -- three boys from Yosemite. Dr. Willits will examine the cubs next week.

New Bears!

On Saturday, June 6, LTWC received two new bear cubs. Like the two cubs we got on May 29, these are probably about five months old and are also orphans. Unlike the two cubs we already have, however, these two are locals, from the Carnelian Bay area of Lake Tahoe.

Although they've been through an ordeal, they appear to be healthy. They're currently in LTWC's Bear Cage (where the Six-Pack resided last year), but after they're examined, they may be able to join our other two cubs, which would mean a four pack on webcam!

Below are a few photos of the new cubs after they first arrived at LTWC yesterday.

This is the first cub, who arrived a few hours before his/her sibling.

The second cub, arriving at LTWC.

After getting out of the travel crate and into LTWC's Bear Cage, the second cub quickly found the highest, darkest hiding spot he/she could. However, the siblings soon found each other after we left them alone.

 

New KAN Webpage!

Sue Horst has made another wonderful webpage that is, in her words, "a little shout out to Smokey's friends." The page features some great photos from KAN -- check it out!

http://web.me.com/suehorst/The_Smokey_family/Smokeys_friends_at_KAN.html

Thanks Sue!

New bears: first pics!

These are photos of the two little bear cubs that we got in on Friday, May 29.

The cubs came from Duarte, CA (in L.A. County), at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. They were with their mother when she was shot and killed. The shooter said that the mother bear had been walking through his yard and scared his wife, so he went to get his shotgun and killed her. 

It took F&G two weeks to catch these little cubs. They were examined at the Wildlife Investigations Lab in Rancho Cordova on Thursday, May 28th, and LTWC we got the call Friday morning and went to pick them up.

On Friday evening, Dr. Willits examined the cubs, and we were able to take the photos below. Aside from several foxtails found in their ears, they both appear to be healthy. They both certainly have healthy appetites (as our webcam viewers have noted during mealtimes!).

Tom picks up the first bear cub. Both cubs were sedated before Dr. Willits examined them. 

The second cub -- a fighter!

Dr. Willits examining the first cub.

Cheryl holding a healthy bear paw!

This photo shows the foxtails that Dr. Willits removed from the cubs' ears. Both of the cubs had inflammed ears thanks to these unwelcome little guests; they're going to be a lot more comfortable without them.

Thanks to KAN Organizers and Visitors!

Thanks to Sue Horst for writing a wonderful Letter to the Editor for the Redding Record Searchlight that expresses LTWC's gratitude to last month's Kool April Nites organizers and to all those who visited the LTWC booth at KAN.

You can find Sue's letter here (it's the second letter on the page).

Kool April Nites: Info You Need to Know

Kool April Nites is happening this week! For those of you who can attend, here's the scoop:

The LTWC Smokey Booth will be at space 122. We'll let you know where that is as soon as we find out Wednesday.

Schedule

Thursday, April 16: Concert and Show & Shine at the convention center; Early bird shoppers are welcome!

Friday, April 17: the booth will be open in the afternoon, and again after the cruise around town (6pm-8pm). The Show & Shine starts at the convention center at 7pm.

Saturday, April 18: KAN opening ceremony at 8am, car show from 8am until 4pm. Pancake breakfast from 7-10am.

Sunday, April 19: Pancake breakfast from 7am-10am; Car show and awards ceremony from 8am-1pm.

Who will be at the booth?
On Saturday, Smokey friends at the booth will include Adam & Celeste Deem, Tom & Cheryl Millham, Sue & Gary Horst, Linda McKenzie and Denise Brown.

What will be at the booth?
We will be playing Sue Horst's slideshow tribute to Li'l Smokey at the booth. Take home your own copy on DVD with a $10 donation to LTWC!

For sale:

• Li'l Smokey t-shirts
• Li'l Smokey lapel pin
• All LTWC t-shirts, hats, etc.
• Smokey Bear (the original) collector plates

And don't forget to pick up a new LTWC brochure!

Sue's Tips
Wear comfortable shoes!

Be prepared for warm days and "Kool Nites"! Don't forget sunscreen.

The pancake breakfast is a real bargain at $4, and is served from 7-10AM. There are lots of food and beverage vendors, so you will not go hungry.

Don't miss the Sundial Bridge. It is connected to the convention center, and is worth the short walk across. If you're warm, you can take the path down to the water. If you like this sort of thing it is truly a work of art and it's story is very interesting.

You may even see an eagle and for sure a goose or two.
Sundial Bridge can be found on google.

Directions:

Interstate 5 north towards Redding.

Exit 678 stay to the left taking Highway 44 to Eureka.

Continue west on Shasta St.

Just past California St., turn left (1/2 block) and turn into RABA Passenger Parking.

Parking is on both sides of the station area, so if one area is busy there is more further down.

RABA is free and runs about every 10 minutes. It will let you off right in front of the car show. It picks you up and takes you back running round trips all day long.

Smokey Signals: More Info

Check out this article in the Redding Record Searchlight, which has some more information about the signal the Department of Fish & Game picked up for Li'l Smokey last week!

The article also mentions the LTWC booth that will be at Kool April Nites in Redding next week from April 15 to 19, at the Redding Convention Center. Please stop by and say hi! We'll have a bunch of Smokey and LTWC items and info at the booth.

Smokey Signals!

We have great news! Yesterday, the California Department of Fish and Game told us that they picked up a signal via plane telemetry from Smokey’s transmitter 4.59 miles from his den site last Friday, April 3. This is a great indicator that he is alive and well.

Additionally, signals from three of the four cubs released north of Truckee were also picked up via plane telemetry last week, all within five miles of their den site!

Smokey Update: No News Yet

Hi everyone,
We know that many of you are curious about whether Fish & Game have been able to track Li'l Smokey since his release last month. So, we want to let you know that we don't have any news yet, but will let you know as soon as we do!

Keep in mind that due to the state's current budget crunch, anything not necessary has been curtailed or eliminated, such as telemetry flights. However, last week, we got notice from F&G that they had attempted to get near Smokey's den by vehicle, rather than by airplane, in order to track him, but were not able to get close enough due to the snow on the roads in the area (a good thing!). They are hoping that they'll be able to get closer and see if he is still in the same area by the middle of April - just about the time of Kool April Nights!

Four-Pack Update!

Hi Everyone,

We just got the following update from the California Department of Fish & Game:

"The four cubs released north of Truckee were all found alive via telemetry (only hear beeps, don't actually see the bears) and still located near their den sites."

New Video: Smokey's Story

We've assembled a new video that tells the story of Smokey's stay at LTWC, from his arrival on July 18, 2008 until his release on February 5, 2009.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO.

The video may take a couple of minutes to load, and you need to press the play button to start it.

You need Quicktime to view this video. If you don't have Quicktime, you can download it free here.

We also have both high-quality (slower-loading) and lower-quality (fast-loading) versions of the video on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnjTRYsInNk

The lower-quality version will play automatically. To see the higher-quality version, click the HD button at the bottom of the video player screen, to the right of the volume button. 

Enjoy!

Thanks to Anthony Cupaiuolo of First Tracks Productions for producing this video.

New Blog Design: Cast Your Vote!

With the arrival of spring, it's time to get rid of our winter design -- and we need your help! We'll be using one of the designs below, but which one we end up using is up to you. Check them out, then cast your vote for your favorite below!

Click on an image to enlarge.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Announcement: LTWC Booth at Kool April Nites!

The Li'l Smokey story will be told at Kool April Nites (KAN) 2009 Classic Car Show in Redding, CA, from April 17 to 19!

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care will have a booth at KAN with info about LTWC. Also, DVDs with Sue Horst's touching slideshow tribute to Smokey will be available with a $10 donation to LTWC!

KAN is a huge deal in Redding, 1,800 cars registered for the event and thousands of visitors.

KAN's organizers have dedicated the 20th anniversary car show to the firefighters who fought 158 fires that burned 86,500 acres, and to Li'l Smokey. They honored Smokey by including his photo in the artwork for the t-shirt.

We'll keep you posted as more information about the booth becomes available. For more info about KAN, visit http://koolaprilnites.com/

Thanks so much to Sue Horst for all her hard work in making this happen!

Placing Smokey in the Den

This was the last time Smokey was handled by human hands.  It occurred at about 12:35pm, Thursday, February 5, 2009.  All three of the California F&G personnel carried Smokey with a litter from his travel crate to his den, about 15 feet away.

Once he was placed in front of the den, they lifted him (remember, he is about 100 pounds) from the litter and placed him into the the prepared den with pine boughs and straw.  All of this took about 3 minutes, to make sure that his head was facing in the proper direction and that he was able to breathe without interference.  Once in the den, then the log boards were placed in front of the den, to protect him.  None of them were that heavy and Smokey would have been able to easily move them to get out again.  My feeling is that this was an excellent release site.

Tom

Smokey's Release: More Photos

In this picture, Adam and I are watching the ear tagging procedure.  I am video taping the process and Adam - at this point - is simply watching.  This was probably about 12:30pm.  I think that it was within the next 5 minutes that Smokey was placed into his den.

This is a view of Smokey's new den, after a thin layer of straw had been placed against the dirt on the bottom of the den, then a layer of pine boughs, followed by a handful of straw.  Once this was prepared, then the biologists went up the bank to the truck to get Smokey, bring him down, anesthetize him, put on his ear transmitter, then put him in the den. 

-Tom

Video: Li'l Smokey Has Gone Home

Lil' Smokey Has Gone Home from KRCRTV on Vimeo.

A Bear Tale: Updated!

Many of you are already aware of Sue Horst's wonderful slideshow tribute to Smokey (and those of you who aren't are in for a treat). Click on the link below to see the updated version.

http://web.me.com/suehorst/Site/A_Bear_Tale.html

Smokey's Release: Photos and News Stories

Below are just a couple of photos from Smokey's release yesterday, as well as some links to news stories about the release.

Smokey getting his ear transmitter from Nicole Carion, Calif. F & G Wildlife Rehab. Coordinator.

At 12:35pm, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009, Smokey is placed in his release den where he will no longer be dependent on humans.  He is now a wild and free bear. 

New Stories:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/02/black-bear-cub.html

http://www.redding.com/news/2009/feb/05/lil-smokey-returned-wilds-siskiyou-county/

http://www.kcra.com/news/18652723/detail.html

The Story of Smokey's Release

We know that Smokey was released yesterday at about 12:35pm. Below is Tom's telling of the release, which he posted over in the comments section of the webcam page early this morning. Enjoy!
-Karen

Good evening,

 As I am starting to write this, it is 11:55pm, so, YES—it still is evening and it still is Thursday.  Although, by the time I finish writing, it will be Friday, so when I complete it, I will most likely say, “Good Morning!”

WOW!!!!!  What an emotional two days.  First of all, let me say this.  Yes.  Jo is one of our very GOOD and quality volunteers.  She took our training class in 2007 and her kids took it this past summer (2008).  She, Denise and Dr. Willitts were here for all of the cubs’ releases this past week and we certainly appreciate all of their time and efforts.  Karen and her husband, Anthony, were here for Wednesday’s capture of Smokey, the Southern California cub and the Yosemite cub.  Anthony videotaped in the morning and—hopefully, we can all see his results in the next day or two.

The web cam picture with the little bear sitting on the log and the sign saying, “GONE HOME” will stay for a few more days.  I think it is better than an empty cage—at this time.  And, the sign, made up by Jo, says it all!

Wednesday morning.  Getting Smokey from his igloo into his travel crate was very interesting. 

We all knew that if I went near the cage, Smokey would come bolting out and climb up the log ramp [Karen’s note: since Tom was responsible for getting Smokey out of his cage for bandage changes during his early months of rehab, let’s just say that Tom isn’t Smokey’s favorite person].

So, we decided that I should stay as far away as possible, until Jo and Denise were able to put a 3’ x 3’ chain link gate in front of Smokey’s igloo BEFORE he bolted.  It worked, just as we hoped.  Then, Nicole and Heidi (F&G biologists) went into the cage with their travel cage. Our intention was to move Smokey from the igloo into the travel cage without having to anesthetize him. 

It worked—ALMOST to perfection.  You see, the igloo and the travel cage didn’t match up—exactly.  There were a few gaps on each side.  So, once we got the gate in front of the igloo, THEN it was safe for me to enter.  We had a piece of plywood on the left side of the igloo and the chain link gate on the right side.  The travel cage has a door that slides up and down, like a guillotine.  Easy—RIGHT?  Well, think again. 

Remember who we are dealing with! This is one of the smartest cubs we have ever had.  He “learns” how to “work” the system.  So, we started tapping on the back of the igloo.  We thought that he would hear the noise and very simply stroll into the cage.  NOT!  So, Jo started rocking the igloo, thinking that the movement of it would cause him to want to get out.   NOT!

Someone handed us a very narrow leaf/garden rake, about 6” wide.  Now, mind you, Smokey had piled up a LOT of straw in the opening of the igloo, for two reasons.  First, for insulation and second, to keep the igloo darker so he could sleep longer!  Smart!  So, we felt that all we had to do was to remove some of the straw and he would want to move into the travel cage.  Right?   NOT!

Next, I took the straw in the opening of the igloo and pushed it into the travel cage.  What did Smokey do?  He pushed more straw into the opening of the igloo to keep his insulation and darkness!  We were ROTFLOAO (laughing “our” _sses off!)  Finally, after moving enough straw and leaving him with very little in his igloo, Jo again moved the igloo from side to side and Smokey gave in and slowly moved into the travel cage.  No.  He did not bolt as I was sure that he would. 

Now.  We had to get the travel cage out of the Bobcat Cage [the name of the enclosure where Smokey’s been staying for the past couple of months]. The Bobcat Cage has two doors, and we had a difficult time getting the travel cage into it when it was empty. So, to get the travel cage out with Smokey in it, we finally decided it best to stand it up on end and scoot it out.

The travel cage, by itself, weighs right about 40 pounds.  When we got it into the garage and weighed it on our scale, the total weight, with Smokey, was 137.  So, using the process of elimination, we determined that Smokey weighs right about 100 pounds, give or take 5 pounds.  That, my friends, is a very healthy bear cub.

Nicole drove up towards the Redding area, which is about a six-hour drive from Tahoe.  Because we knew she wouldn’t  leave Tahoe until late morning, plus the long drive, we decided earlier to make the release the next day, Thursday.  Wednesday afternoon, I drove up with another volunteer, Dan, who was helping me take pictures of this experience.  Nightmare?  Ordeal?  Procedure?  OK. YOU call it what you want.

We stayed the night in the area, and then met with Nicole and team at 8:30am this morning.  It took us about 2 hours to get to the release site, which was remote, and has good vegetation and an excellent location.  Personally, I felt very good about the site.  About the only thing that I would have liked different, is if there could have been more snow in the area, but, we are saying that same thing here in Tahoe. 

After anesthetizing Smokey, he was removed from the travel cage, which, by now, he had been in for about 26 hours.  Nicole officially gave Smokey his first (and hopefully, ONLY) pierced ear, by placing the electronic ear transmitter in his ear.  From what Nicole told me, they will be able to track Smokey for up to 5 miles by airplane for up to one year and possibly longer. 

If anything, the one disappointing part of this release was that the biologist in charge of the release would not allow us to place any of Smokey’s “friends” in the den with him [the stuffed animals that our webcam watchers will recognize as his favorite companions these past few months]. And, for some reason, it was felt by F&G that bears in general prefer to sleep/den on pine boughs, rather than straw, so we were told that we could only put in a fraction of the straw that we brought to put in with him.  The good part is that—yes—there was some of his straw in the den with him and his scent will be with him.  So, when he does get up to wander around, he will be able to smell where his smell is and return to his den and—HOPEFULLY—sleep away the rest of the winter. 

As we were leaving the area, it was snowing and raining, so, with any luck, the precipitation would continue and Smokey will stay hunkered down with no one to disturb him until he comes out in the spring.  As Mr. Spock would say, “Live Long and Prosper!”  We love you, Li’l Smokey.  Do us all proud and do exactly what we have taught you to do and use those new tools (your newly healed paws) to the maximum extent of your ability.  And don’t EVER get close to those “Creatures” [aka, humans]! We love you and pray for your ability to stay safe, wild and free! After all that you have been through, YOU DESERVE IT!!

-Tom

It's official...

Li'l Smokey was placed in his new home at 12:35pm today, in a beautiful remote location! It has been a long day for everyone involved in the release, so I expect that Tom will be able to give us some more information tomorrow.

Until then, the Redding Searchlight has an article about the release, as well as a few photos from the release.

'til tomorrow!

Karen

The Day We've Been Waiting For...

Well, the day we've all been waiting for is here. As of this morning, Li'l
Smokey is on his way home!

We were not able to give any advance notice about his release,
unfortunately. The California Department of Fish and Game wanted to be
overly precautious and not release any information about it ahead of time.

Everything went well this morning. We were able to get Smokey into his
transport crate without sedating him by placing the door of the crate
against the door of the igloo that Smokey's been denning in for the past
several weeks. Below is a recap from Denise, an LTWC board member and
volunteer, who got a great view of the whole thing:

"Smokey was so funny--as we were pulling straw out to make a doorway for
him, he was pulling it back in just as fast--and then "ZING" out flies his
red ball right into his travel crate--guess he didn't want to forget it on
his trip! We were SOOOO amazed at how much he had packed in there with
him--it had to have filled up most of the space in the igloo with a
"little" room for "not so little" Smokey! He was very calm when he was
loaded up and just seemed to be "hanging out" waiting for the next chapter
in his life!"

LTWC volunteers packed up bags full of his familiar-smelling hay, as well
as his stuffed animals, to make the trip with him.

As for the other six cubs that have been in LTWC's care this year: two
were released just a few days ago, two are on their way home today, and
the final two will be released later this week. So it's a busy, emotional
week for everyone at LTWC, to say the least!

We'll send another update as soon as we have more information. Until then,
thanks so much for your interest in LTWC and Li'l Smokey, your kind words
and generous support over the past 6+ months!

A Bear Tale: The Slideshow

Check out this wonderful slideshow of Li'l Smokey, which was lovingly assembled by Sue Horst (aka "Sue from Redding" here on the blog). Great job, Sue!

Smokey Images - Terms of Use

Hi everyone,
We've had some confusion lately about what constitutes a copyright violation for the images of Smokey and the other bears on this site. So we'd like to clarify what is and is not allowed.

First, all images of Smokey and the other bears on this site are copyrighted by Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, Inc. No images may be distributed or sold without permission from LTWC.

Second, we don't mind Smokey "fan art," such as slideshows or other creative uses of Li'l Smokey images, as long as these are only for personal use (not for sale).

Specifically, you may:

• Print Smokey images for personal use (to display in your home or office)
• Save Smokey images to your computer for personal use (such as your computer's desktop image, screensaver, or just to view)
• Use Smokey images on your personal website or blog, provided that you (a) let LTWC know about it (email tom@ltwc.org) and (b) carry over the copyright information. That is, you must state "Images: copyright Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, Inc.," or something similar. This is to make sure that someone else doesn't copy the images from your site and use them for sale.

You may not:

• Sell Smokey images, either in print or electronic format
• Use Smokey images to help sell a product or service, or to promote any organizations or causes, without permission from LTWC

Finally, LTWC reserves the right to refuse use of or revoke permission for use of the images on this site.

If you have any questions at all, please email either Tom or Karen.

Karen

Blog Bug

Some of you have experienced problems with the site, particularly with viewing and making comments on the webcam page, over the last couple of days. It's an issue with Typepad, the blogging service that we use.

According to Typepad:
"Categories and Archives lists are not displaying correctly on some blogs. We are currently working to resolve the bug and apologize for the inconvenience."

I'll keep you updated if and when I hear more. Until then, it looks like the best thing to do if you're having issues is to refresh the page. You may need to do this a few times, or wait a few minutes before refreshing. Thanks for your patience, and sorry for the inconvenience!

Karen

Smokey Update on Fox40

None of us have seen much of Li'l Smokey since he sealed himself off in his igloo, but if you check out the latest video update from KTXL Fox40 Sacramento (which aired yesterday), you can catch a glimpse of him in his den!

To watch the update, go to the Fox40 website, then scroll halfway down the homepage until you see the Video Player. Right now, the Smokey update is one of the options shown on the right of the video screen, but that will probably change as Fox40 posts more videos. If you don't see him, just use the Video Player search tool (at the bottom right of the Video Player) and search for "Smokey."

Enjoy!
Karen

Smokey's Igloo and the Six Pak

Smokey's Igloo.  As you can see, Smokey has barricaded himself in his igloo with straw.  This picture was taken last Monday, January 19 and when I went in to take the picture, not a straw was moving!  You can see "Black Bear" in the foreground and it would seem that he has seen better days!

This picture was also taken on Monday, January 19.  This is the "den area," where the "Six Pak" spend most of their time.  The area is 6' deep, by 10' long and 8' high.  There is a fluorescent light above the chain link ceiling, which (I hope) they are unable to reach.  But, I have said that before, like with web cams or Cat5 cable.  The picture was taken later in the day, so NONE of them were sleeping, except for, maybe, the three on the bottom. "

Smokey images for sale without permission

Hi everyone,

We've discovered that a company is selling Li'l Smokey images taken by Tom and LTWC volunteers without permission.

We're in the process of resolving this issue, but wanted to ask everyone to please avoid purchasing any Smokey images from a third party site. If you do see that someone is selling Smokey images taken by LTWC, please let us know - you can contact either tom@ltwc.org, or karen@firsttracksservices.com.

Thank you!

Karen

Smokey Update: 01/12/2009

I just sent the first update/test message to our new email distribution list. If you signed up for updates about Smokey, the webcam and LTWC, you should have received an email from me this morning.

If you didn’t receive an email and you want to be on our email update list, please email me at karen at firsttracksservices dot com. Although I did not purposely leave anyone out, I may have left someone out accidentally. Also, we did receive a couple of requests through the blog that either contained no email address or an incorrect address.

Below are updates from Tom and Sue, which they posted over in the comments section of the Webcam page yesterday.

Karen
LTWC Webmaster

[From Tom: January 11, 2009, 10:02 AM] Good morning. Cheryl and I got home last night. LOTS of high winds in the Southern California “high deserts.” But, once we got to Ridgecrest (intersection of Hwy 395 and 14), it was pretty calm from that point on. But, you have to remember, the winds were (for the most part) coming out of the west and we were on the ‘east’ side of the Sierra’s from that point until we got home.

We hear you. The web cam WILL be moved this afternoon. We will either put it in the “play area” of the Bear Rehab Cage, or in the “feeding area.” We will watch for a little while and determine which would be best. We will also keep an eye on Smokey to see if he does anything with this warm weather. It is 19 degrees right now, so I don’t think he will be coming out.

The red and yellow thing is actually ALL red. It only looks yellow from the way the sun hits it. And, yes, it IS a Kong Toy. It is made out of a hard rubber that is hard enough that makes it difficult for even a little bear cub to break into. Normally, it is used for dogs and dog biscuits are placed inside. This gives a treat when they play with it long enough. We were thinking of putting White Bear in there, giving Smokey something to do, but he played with it anyway, so we didn’t need to entice him with anything else.

As for our “vacation” -- I wouldn’t exactly call it a vacation. We traveled over 2,000 miles, worked on the float over 12 hours a day for the first five days, then visited Kiwanis clubs and divisions from Pasadena to Kingman, Arizona. Yes -- there were some down times, plus we got to see our new great-granddaughter, our grandson, our daughter and my mom, so those visits were fun. But, a lot of traveling! We will be down in Las Vegas this coming weekend for a couple of nights for more Kiwanis visits (business). Talk to you all soon. Hope you had a Happy New Year.

Tom

[From Sue: January 11, 2009, 3:13 PM] The light is switched on in the "feeding area" that you see in the forefront. The back area is the "den" where they sleep and we've left off that light. We decided to show you this area rather than the play area because they have been in this area most lately.

[From Sue: January 11, 2009, 4:49 PM] The room off to the left is the "play area" -- it's quite a large area which includes a couple of tire swings (they love those) and a 2-tiered loft. Also, that's where they find water via a "swimming pool/wading area." There are 6 bears in the 3 areas (each area can be separated by a steel door that moves up and down -- that's how we feed them and clean the areas without human interaction). The cub with the yellow tag on its ear is from Yosemite.

 

 

Update – Monday, December 29, 2008

Good evening, everyone.  Here is wishing you all a very Happy New Year from sunny Southern California.  Cheryl and I have been in Azusa since last Friday as we are helping Cheryl’s brother, Darryl, with the FTD float for the Rose Parade this Thursday.  It is a beautiful float, so, please, try to tune in and see just what we have been up to.  I have spent most of my time working on the butts of the elephants.  Well, OK!  I did work on other parts of the elephants also. 

I have been in touch with Denise and Sue Novasel and both of them are doing what they can to get the web cam up and going.  Right now, we are not sure what the problem is, but hopefully, they will be able to get it going tomorrow (Tuesday).  But, as Denise has already told you, you aren’t missing anything.  It appears that Li’l Smokey has finally settled down for that "Long Winter’s Rest!"

This is what we have been expecting him to do.  The other six cubs are mostly sleeping, but still are somewhat active, especially when they get some fresh water.  The other "bad" news is that the temperatures have been very UN-seasonably warm, reaching the mid 40s today. 

Cheryl and I will be home a week from this Sunday, but the center is in very good hands with all of our volunteers and board members. 

So, until we talk again, Cheryl and I would like to wish all of you a very Happy New Year and a very prosperous 2009.

Tom

While we're waiting for the web cam...

As you can see, we're still experiencing technical difficulties with the web cam. I heard from Denise earlier today, and she let me know that Smokey is still wrapped up tight in his igloo, so we're not missing much action right now.

While we're waiting, I thought some of you may enjoy visiting the video page on our website. This page has three short videos:

1. The first video is an update we did when Smokey first arrived at LTWC (when he was still very "li'l"). We all know that Smokey has made an amazing recovery, but this video really demonstrates how far he has come in just five months!

2. The second video is a wonderful story that Sacramento's ABC 10 did on LTWC last summer, a couple of weeks before Smokey arrived. This video shows a lot of the wildlife we had at LTWC at the time, including the other bear cubs we've had this year.

3. The last video, also from early last summer, shows the successful "surrogate release" of a young, orphaned merganser chick with an adult female who was willing to take the chick under her wing.

Also, to those of you who requested a Smokey photo gallery, we're working on it, but it will be a few days before it's ready.

In the meantime, thanks for your patience while we work on the web cam!

Karen
LTWC Webmaster

Merry Christmas

  

Smokey Update: 12/23/08 – 8:30pm

Good evening.  Well, as you all have seen, Li’l Smokey appears like he is getting ready to bed down for the winter.  Actually, I don’t think he will.  He has so much nosing around to do yet.  After all, he missed about 4 months worth of growing up and he needs to catch up, eh?

As I promised you, here is a picture of his current and final cage here at LTWC!  Some of us should live so well!  It is 20’ wide (from your left to right) and 14’ deep (front to back).  At the tallest point, this cage is about 14’ high as well.  Smokey can’t get quite that high, but his highest platform/perch is at about 9 – 9 ½ feet off the ground.

As you look at this picture, you can barely see the rounds of wood in the front right of the cage.  Directly behind the rounds is his igloo. Therefore, the camera is on the left side of the cage.  You can’t see his ramp, but it would go from lower right to upper left.

The orange thing on the front left of the picture is the water spicket we use to furnish Smokey his water.  The pipe is buried about 2 ½ feet under the surface, which is--most of the time--below the freeze line.  Yes.  We have had it so cold here before (30 degrees BELOW zero) that this line has frozen.  It has only happened once or twice, but definitely NOT the norm.

On the inside of the cage, as you can partially see, is chain link, which was a requirement of Fish and Game to allow us to use this cage as a second bear rehab cage.  And, indeed, we have used it, ever since installing the chain link.  This year, we also installed chain link on the Raccoon Cage, which you can see on the far left hand side of the picture, right next to the water supply.  The cage Smokey is now in, in case I haven’t told you before, is the Bobcat Cage.  Each of our cages is named for the animal for which it was intended.  But--like a lot of other wildlife rehab facilities--we have to make do with what we have, so our cages also must be versatile.  In the Bobcat Cage, we have had everything from bears to eagles to raccoons to skunks--and yes--even the occasional bobcat!

Here is another view of Smokey's cage.  From this view (looking north by north-east), you can see more of the walkway, our chair lift chair and the width of the walkway (about 4').  Sometimes, a second view gives you a better perspective.  Just to remind you--we did receive about 16-18 inches of snow earlier this week, but we then received almost one day of rain!  Basically, what the rain did was to compact the snow.  So, instead of seeing 1 1/2 feet of snow, it only shows about 12 - 14 inches.  But--alas--more on the way.

It was sunny today, but they are calling for a winter storm warning tonight through late tomorrow and even on Christmas Day.  So, if you have trouble seeing the web cam, rest assured, we will do what we can to get it up and running as quickly as possible.  While Cheryl and I are gone, two of our board members will be coming by on a daily basis to check in on all the bears and the golden eagle we have in house now and make sure they are all getting what they need.  Both of them are fairly computer savvy, so if there are any problems, I have the utmost confidence in them to get things resolved.  Well--at least one of them!

Talk to you all tomorrow.  Tom

Update - December 19, 2008

Hi everyone,
Tom posted the update below over in the comments section on the Webcam page on December 19. It's long buried under more recent posts by now, so we wanted to post it here in case anyone missed it.
- Karen

-------------

So!!! You are waiting for a reply from Tom????  Well, I try to provide what our Smokey community asks for. 

Sorry it has taken me so long to answer your comments regarding the T-Shirts and sweatshirts, but I had to go down to the Southern California for some meetings early this week. 

YES! We have thought about a T-shirt.  We even went so far as to pick out some pictures, but then, we wondered if we should "commercialize" this amazing little bear.  But, I can tell from all of your wonderful comments that something which would serve as a memory of our Li’l Smokey would mean a lot to you all.  We do have our own Graphic Artist, as you can tell by the T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, Polo Shirts, etc. on our store.  The people we work with are with Digital Concepts.  Since your interest is so high, we will post some of our ideas and we will accept your thoughts and ideas as to which design would be best.  But, we are going to have to do this after the New Year. 

Now, on to some of your questions and comments. 

Vicki E from Tucson.  Thank you for your Christmas present.  Yes, we did receive it. 

Lela – Yes.  We received your little "bear" gift.  It is beautiful.  Thank you. 

Lencho – Temps in deep winter in Tahoe?  They very -- GREATLY! Cheryl and I have lived in Tahoe for 33 years (next month) and we have seen temps in January and February as LOW as -33 degrees (that is 33 degrees BELOW ZERO) and as warm as 35 ABOVE ZERO! That is almost a 70 degree difference.  Obviously, not in the same year, BUT in the same location.  We just have to wait and see! 

Will we start feeding Smokey if he doesn’t den soon?  No.  He had his last supper on Monday, December 8, along with the other six cubs.  None of them will eat again until they wake up in the spring.  And, by the way -- the other six cubs are still active as well.  Not as much as they were a month ago, but, active, nonetheless.  Now that we have snow (between 18 and 24 inches this week at lake level so far), and cold temps (about 4 degrees above zero yesterday), that should be enough to kick their system into gear to begin their denning.  The wild bears locally are doing exactly the same thing, just now starting their denning.  We expect our bears to follow the same pattern.

Will we be drugging him to transport him to his release site?  Actually, that is more a question for Fish and Game, but, in order to get him into a cage, that answer is "Yes."  I would assume that they will give him a sedative about the time that he is placed in his den at the release site.  There is an electronic tracking device which has been ordered and will be fitted on him so he can be tracked.  For how long? I don’t know. That information will be passed along to us the day of his release.  As far as I know, F & G is still looking at the same time-frame we have been telling you –- late January or early February.  It all depends on when they can get their crew together. 

When he is released, will I give him a big "bear hug"? That is a good question. I am sure that I will want to -- but will I?  Stay tuned for that.  I definitely will be taking along at least my digital camera to document the release and possibly taking along a separate video camera.  That day will be very special, to say the least. 

By the way.  It took me two days to read up on all of your comments since I left Monday around noon.  You guys sure to like to keep things hopping, don’t you?  We certainly appreciate all of the positive comments and commentary.  Once again, I am sorry that I took as long as I did to get back to you.  Everything else with Smokey is doing very well.  As you all have seen, he is using the igloo again, pulling the straw up into the doorway to simulate a cave.

Smokey update in the San Francisco Chronicle

Click here to read Tom Stienstra's update on Li'l Smokey and the other bears cubs rehabbing at LTWC in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle.

Smokey Update: December 12, 1:10pm

Hi everyone! Tom posted the following update as a comment on the webcam page yesterday to answer several questions. I'm posting it here as well in case you missed it there.
- Karen

Good afternoon. Let’s get right to your comments/questions.

Is the igloo in a different position?
 Yes. WE moved it. We wanted to give Smokey an option for a nest. Yes. He has made a nest under the ramp; however, in years past, we have had bears den in this cage, but in the same corner where his igloo was. We wanted to give him the opportunity to make his den/nest there, IF he chooses.

Also, we found some food under the igloo. Are we feeding him? No. He has not received any food from us since last Monday. That was his "Last Supper."

Why is Smokey still so active?
Actually, ALL seven bears are still active. Unfortunately, we can’t exactly forecast the weather (who can?), so we need to go by the meteorologists for their best guesses. We were told that there would be cold and snow starting earlier this week. Didn’t happen. (Sylvia, from Colorado, you called that one.) However -- we are expecting up to 2 feet of snow at the lake level (which we are about 200 feet above) starting tonight through mid next week. Also, the temperatures are going to drop – even further – at night, to the single digits (3 to 9 degrees). THAT should send a message to all seven cubs, along with no food, that it is time to hunker down. The daytime temperatures here have been in the 40s and even in the low 50s a couple of times. So, that didn’t help any. Also, the local wild bears have not denned yet. Strictly due to the warm weather, and the fact that most of them are still able to find food (from HUMAN garbage cans!).

What happened to his stuffed animals?
He has been having a wonderful time "playing" with them. And, yes, as you have already guessed, he has ripped the stuffing out of a couple of them. But, when we go in to change his water, we pick up the stuffing for his own protection. Would it hurt him if he did eat it? Probably not, but it would not be the best thing for him.

Is the web cam in a different position?
Yes. I moved it this morning. Several of you noticed the different position. And, for the record, Smokey cannot reach it, no matter how hard he tries. (At least I don’t think he can!) We noticed his different nest and tried to incorporate the camera with his igloo, the nest he has now and where we think he will nest.

Where is he nesting?
I did notice an area under the log ramp that shows he was nesting there. However, when I walked into his cage this morning, he was up on the second tier. We do have a nest box there and we did throw some straw up on that level, so it looks like he might be sleeping there as well.

Bottom Line: Smokey is doing very well. He is doing exactly what the other bears are doing. It has been warm in the afternoon, but that is going to change – drastically – starting Friday night. So, get your fixes in now. I have a feeling that he will be spending most  of his time in either the nest box on the second level, or in one of the two nests on the ground floor. He has been hardly spending any time in his igloo. The straw appeals much more to him at this point.

I will probably update again on Sunday or Monday.

Tom

Christmas Quill is Up

Hi everyone,

The Christmas issue of The Quill, LTWC's newsletter, is online at our website. This issue has a bunch of articles about Smokey, some great photos of some of the other wildlife that LTWC cared for this year, and much more.

To read The Quill, go to our website at http://www.ltwc.org/Quill.html, and click on the Christmas 2008 link.

Happy holidays to everyone!

Join LTWC's Email List!

After Smokey's release, we will be disabling the webcam for a while, likely until sometime next spring, when we begin receiving new animals to rehabilitate.

Currently, we're compiling an email distribution list, which we'll use to keep everyone informed about LTWC news and events, including when you should begin tuning in to the webcam again.

If you would like to join the email list, please send your name and email address to me, at karen@firsttracksservices.com. Or, you can post a comment here, on Smokey's blog, indicating that you'd like to be added to the list (be sure to include your correct email address in the form -- I'll be the only one who can see it).

It has been a pleasure reading everyone's comments about Li'l Smokey -- I hope you'll join us online again next spring!

Karen M. Johnson
LTWC Webmaster

A Little More Information

Many of you have been wondering if the bears are scared or afraid when released in their new den.

In our experience - plus what we have heard and discussed with other rehabbers who also raise and release bear cubs across the United States - when the bears are placed in their den, they then wake up and come out from the den.  They are "home" and their instincts kick in.

We, as a whole, do not think that the cubs have a "fear factor."  Remember, the cubs are released in January or February. That is winter here in the High Sierras and will be the same conditions in most areas where our bears come from.  During denning, their body will mostly shut down, meaning their heart rate will decrease from 60 beats a minute to about 10 beats a minute.  They will have lost weight.  Some more than others.  So, the first order of business? THEY EAT! Grass. They have to open up their digestive system - and then defecate.  Such is the life of a bear.

Will they survive?  Yes!  ALL of the bears we have released have survived.  All of the bear cubs, in our care this year, had at least 5 to 6 months with their mothers, living in the wild and being taught by her during that time.  We, at LTWC, have finished their training.  For example: fish and crawdads are always presented in water!  So, once they are released into the wild, if they want fish or crawdads, they know they have to go fishing – in water.  LTWC has not put in all of the hours of work, bought thousands of dollars of bear food and taught them what to recognize if we did not think and believe they would be surviving successfully, living a natural, free life, where just being a bear is the greatest gift of all. 

The Other Bears

Photo #1: Pictured here are three of the other cubs who are being rehabbed by LTWC this year.  The one on the right (yellow ear tag), came to us from Yosemite National Park, after her mom was struck by a car in April. The one on the left (the small one), came to us from the San Jacinto mountains in Southern California.  In all, we have seven cubs, all different sizes and colors, and with basically the same problem: they all lost their moms -- even Li'l Smokey.  But, in his case, he obviously had some other problems (burned paws) as well.

Photo #2: This photo shows ALL six cubs. Yes, at times like this, they are "buds."  But, when it comes time to eat, it is every cub for him/herself.  And "Don't get in my way." The other cubs came from Lake Tahoe, two from Auburn, Penn Valley (near Grass Valley), and of course, Shasta -- that would be Smokey.  I think you all know his story. 

Time to Hunker Down

Photo: Li'l Smokey, up in his perch, on Saturday, November 29, 2008

We are starting the procedure to put all seven of the cubs into hibernation. The process began yesterday, Monday, December 1.

We expect to be reducing the quantity of food to the cubs for seven to ten days until we get to a point where they receive no food.  At the same time, we're introducing them to tree branches.  What happens naturally in the wild is that, as the food sources dry up, bears begin to eat the branches, or at least the bark off of the branches.  They are unable to digest this, and, with less food, it acts as a blockage, preventing them from defecating. This tells them it is time to shut down the bodily functions and their heart rate actually slows from 55-65 beats per minute to a very slow 8-12 beats per minute.

When they are in captivity, like these seven are, they need assistance with this process.  In about 10 days, Smokey and the other six will be sleeping most of the time.

We will keep you informed.  Get your Smokey fix in now, while you can.  I'll be looking to see exactly where he will decide to "hunker down."  If it is in an area where there is some daylight, then I may turn the camera to face him there.  I will not be turning on the light we now have on after he begins the hibernation process.

Talk to you all soon.

Tom

Paw Progress

The photos below show how far Smokey's paws have come. The first shows his paws before they were cleaned when he first arrived at LTWC on July 18. The second was taken just a few weeks ago, on October 30.

Second photo: Sally Sjolin

Smokey on CBS13

Click here to check out the feature KOVR (CBS13 Sacramento) did on Li'l Smokey last week!

Today's Photo: This is where Smokey goes when he climbs off camera

Sunday, November 16, 2008.  I finally got some time to go in and get some pictures of Li'l Smokey. As usual, when I go in his cage, he scampers away from me. In this cage (the Bobcat cage), he has more places to hide than in all of his previous cages.  So, in order to get a halfway decent picture of the kid, I had to go back outside and get a 6' ladder so I could get up on his level.  You see, he climbed up those logs you see on the left side of the picture, then he crossed over on another log to the highest point in the cage, which is about 9 feet above the ground. 

We're sorry that we can't show more of him on the web cam, but we would actually need about 3 more cameras to do it justice and the numbers just don't match. So for the next month or so, until he goes into hibernation, the cam will remain focused on the center of his cage where his food, his igloo, his pool and  his rounds are.  He seems to spend more time there than in any other part of the cage. 

I'll try to answer some of your questions in my next update.  You all have been so patient with us as we worked through getting this camera up and running, and it seems to be doing fairly good now.  In my personal opinion, Smokey is now about 70 pounds.  As you can see in this picture, the fur is starting to come back around his eye since we started medication.  It was a fungus that other cubs have had from time to time, but Dr. Willitts wanted to be sure before we did anything, which is why we waited for the lab tests to come back. 

We will talk soon.

Tom

Smokey on CBS12

Click here to watch CBS12's (KHSL Chico) recent update on Smokey.

Smokey on KCRA

Click here to watch KCRA 3's update on Li'l Smokey!

On the Road to Recovery

"Not so 'Li'l' Smokey", weighing in at 63 pounds, 13 ounces, is shown here, just kind of "hanging out," a few days ago in his now-former cage. As you can see, Smokey has not been missing any meals, and his last exam showed excellent growth of the pads on his paws.

The only small problem now is the loss of fur around his left eye. Dr. Willitts took some tissue sample and sent if off to the lab.  When he receives the results, he'll determine what, if anything, we will do with regard to medication.