The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-18
INFANCY OF WILD THINGS.
Helplessness of Bear Cubs--Solicltude
of the Doe for Her Fawn.

Roulette, Pa, May S.-"Bear cubs are
tiny creatures at birth, often no longer
than rats said an observant hemlock-belt
woodsman. "A friend of mine had one
that, although alive and lively when he
found it with it's mother, which he had
thoughtlessly killed, was less than four
inches long,
1T was perfectly formed, but soon died,
as bear cubs are sure to do If they are
less than a month old when taken from
their mothers. Cubs grow very fast In
nature, and when they appear in the
spring with their mothers they are as big
as half grown lambs.
Il know many an old hunter who not
only will not kill she bears that have
cubs, but will take every measure to pro-
tect them. This is from no prompting of
humanity, however. 1t is simply with an
eye out for the main chance In the future
when those cubs have grown to bears,
fat and in fine fur.
"A motherless bear cub is poor prop
erty, and a bear mother nursing her
young is of no use either as meat or for
fur But her cubs in year will be worth
from $40 to SIS apiece, and she will herself
be worth more than that by the time she
is ready to hole up the next winter.
1T is not an uncommon thing for
bear to have four cubs at a birth. 1 have
mon, two more common, but one may be
counted on as being the most common.
THE instance of five bear cubs at
birth | can't vouch for from personal
knowledge, although / saw the old bear,
and the man who killed her had five cubs,
which he declared were all with her when
he shot her. The man was known as a
person of veracity, but 1 have my own
ideas about q man who could find it in
IN ri a hoo fIaf h1H hp1
less little cubs at her side. But that
doesn't make him out liar.
Il have personal knowledge, neverthe-
less, of bear that had eight cubs with
her when | came across her in the woods
and she was caring for them all with
motherly tenderness. That was after 1
had heard of the one with five cubs, and 1
felt that I had come to a conclusion too
hastily as to the veracity of the man who
had exhibited them.
This bear with eight cubs was such
an extraordinary and unheard-of thing
that l resolved to capture the whole FAM
lily alive II l could. When the old bear
saw me she withdrew, with a great show
Of flerceness, to the refuge of fallen tree
top hustling the cubs along in advance of
her.
while accommodating to see how 1t
might be possible for me to carry out my
designs on the bear family, l stumbled
over a dead bear only a few rods from
where the other one and the eight cubs
had their quarters. 1t was a big bear,
and she had had her cubs.
what killed her I do not know, but
thought | had a clear explanation of the
other bears remarkable family. She had
four cubs of her own, and having come
across the orphaned cubs whining on the
dead body of their mother, she had adopt
ed them and was rearing them with her
own. l made no further effort to capture
that bear family, and the live she bear
undoubtedly dined on the carcass Of the
dead mother of her foster cubs.
1T is curious about fawns and their
mother fawn when first born is for
some hours unable to stand. The doe does
not remain beside 1t. but PAGES slowly
around at a considerable distance.
Every little while she gives a tremu-
lous, low, bleating call. At the sound the
fawn lifts its head and tries to struggle
to It's feet.
Should the doe scent danger. such as
the approach of some one in the woods,
she runs away In a straight line, but lag
gingly and halting,y, as though she were
badly hurt. When she is satisfied that
she has turned the enemy far enough
away. she gives three great flying leaps
which quickly take her out of sight, and
she returns speedily to her helpless
young
IF she is not disturbed she keeps up the
pacing about and the bleating until she
sees the fawn able to rise and keep its
feet Then she Frances daintily away in
straight line, choosing always the cas-
lest thoroughfare.
LAS she goes she calls family, stopping
every few yards to look over her shoulder
to see that the fawn is following. She
conducts the little one to hiding place,
and she can and does hide her fawn from
sight, although one may be almost upon
1t, as absolutely as the hen pheasant
clucks her brood into concealment at a
sign of danger"