West Virginia Wildlife from Eyewitness News

Bear Den

She's no Goldilocks, but she has 3 bears!

March 12, 2008
Reporter: Patrick McMurtry
Videographer: Brad Rice

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We're smack in the middle of bear country hoping to find a sow we first met two years ago.

Gary Sharp/DNR Bear Biologist says:
"In the winter of 2006 she had a litter with 3 cubs only about a quarter mile from where we are now."

This is what her den looked like then, not really too impressive. The lungs on these little guys...Well, that was impressive.

Today we find her here, in a picture perfect bear den. Again, she has 3 cubs.

Dave Arbogast/DNR Bear Biologist says:
"They're healthy, their eyes are open, these bears were probably born in mid-january, probably.

Cub #2 is a female, she has a small white chest blaze."

"These guys are something else. This one is just over 4 pounds, and here's something we haven't seen before, this black bear has a lot of brown in it's face. He's no doubt got a healthy life ahead of him.

These cubs were lucky enough to be born in an area that has proven safe for the last several years and chances are, they'll have some brothers and sisters born here two years from now.

Gary Sharp/DNR Bear Biologist says:
"This area is obviously an area that is good for bears. The soil, good vegetation, everything they need is right here and she hasn't traveled for all the locations that we have been with in a mile from where we are right now."

We might not find her in this exact den, but chances this gal will be somewhere nearby the next time these biologists come looking for her.

For west virginia wildlife, i'm patrick mcmurtry, eyewitness news

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W. Va. DNR

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