1 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:15,840 Lily is a seven-year-old black bear. 2 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,840 Every moment of her life has been played out online. 3 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,240 And with almost 150,000 Facebook followers, 4 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,320 she has become an international celebrity. 5 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,640 You know, she just might be the most popular bear in the world 6 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:38,560 and she lives right here in Minnesota. 7 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,400 But Lily's fame has come at a price. 8 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,960 As black bear and human populations have grown, 9 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:48,840 she has become the focus of a passionate debate 10 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,800 about how people and bears can live together. 11 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,080 Arguments have raged across the internet, 12 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,200 and now, Lily has a price on her head. 13 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:00,960 GUNSHOT 14 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,480 So why do some people want her dead? 15 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:09,280 It's the end of August, 16 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,720 and the day before bear hunting season starts. 17 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,240 Dr Lynn Rogers is a pioneering scientist 18 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:21,320 who has studied black bears for 45 years. 19 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:24,440 We're on the trail. We got a signal now. 20 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,600 For the next six weeks, black bears are fair game - 21 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:32,040 and, for some hunters, top of their list of targets is Lily. 22 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,480 This year, we're under special pressure, 23 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,360 because there are people out there that are actually gunning for her. 24 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,120 And I can't understand it. 25 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,680 But, uh...she's achieved some fame 26 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,280 and there's people who just want to shoot her as a special trophy. 27 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,560 He is on his way to find her in the woods. 28 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,680 The radio signal will give him a rough idea of her position. 29 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,840 I can't see her yet, but...the signal says she's close. 30 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:09,480 It's me! 31 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:12,000 It's me, bear. 32 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:18,720 Come, Lily. 33 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,760 Oh...OK. 34 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,080 Looking for adult black bears in the woods might seem foolhardy. 35 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,480 Lily weighs over 100kgs and is incredibly strong. 36 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,080 Come on. Right here. 37 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,720 She's known Lynn all her life 38 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,640 and responds to the sound of his voice. 39 00:02:39,640 --> 00:02:41,680 OK, bear, come on. 40 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:42,720 You're OK. 41 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,920 You finally decided it was me, huh? 42 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:51,640 OK. 43 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:53,520 OK, here... 44 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,000 Lily is not a pet, but rather a wild black bear 45 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,680 who has spent her entire life in the woods. 46 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,360 To understand how Lynn has built 47 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,040 such a unique relationship with this bear 48 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,680 and to find out why some people want her dead, 49 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,120 we have to start at the beginning. 50 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,840 Lily's home is the Northwoods of Minnesota. 51 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,760 It's much like any other woods in this part of North America, 52 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,360 where we find black bears living alongside people. 53 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,680 This is Eagles Nest. 54 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,360 It's one of the communities 55 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,480 where the debate about how people and bears should live together 56 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:41,800 is being played out. 57 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,800 Some have concerns about their wild neighbours. 58 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,480 They are very powerful. 59 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,320 They can rip your arm off. 60 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:51,960 They can kill you. 61 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,800 They do major damage to you. 62 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,240 They can disfigure you for life. 63 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,080 They can get to 500-600lbs, 64 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,320 and I've seen the damage that they have done 65 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,200 with just a swipe of their paw. 66 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,120 They could be in your garden shed or in your wood shed 67 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:16,440 and you may startle them, 68 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,800 they may be simply wanting to escape, 69 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,840 but if you are in their exit path, it could be bad. 70 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,160 What makes Eagles Nest so different from the rest of America 71 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,960 is that some people have been feeding bears in their gardens 72 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:32,520 for more than 50 years. 73 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,040 I was scared to death - 74 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,720 I would lie awake at night listening to see 75 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,960 if a bear was going to break in to the cabin. 76 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:47,000 And he would go home and leave me here with the children, 77 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:48,280 two children. 78 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:51,360 And I'd think, "Oh, I just hope a bear doesn't come around." 79 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:58,160 But I just have overcome that fear. 80 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:02,480 I have absolutely no fear of the bear any more at all. 81 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,960 No, Dot. No. 82 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:06,800 'They are a beautiful animal' 83 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,160 and...sensitive. 84 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:14,440 Just a beautiful animal to be able to be close to and be around. 85 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:16,080 Come on. 86 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,520 No, you can't have the whole dish. 87 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,160 At first, the bears were a little scary 88 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,200 because we didn't know much about them 89 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,880 except all the stories we'd heard over the years. 90 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,240 Yeah, the first night after we moved here, 91 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:34,360 we had emptied a lot of boxes and put 'em out in the back yard, 92 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:36,880 and there came the bears, looking through 'em, 93 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:41,080 to see if there was anything good inside those boxes. 94 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,120 And so then we thought, "OK, we have lots of bears!" 95 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:51,200 Relationships like these are what attracted Lynn Rogers here. 96 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,320 Before he arrived in Eagles Nest, 97 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,280 he had already been studying bears for two decades. 98 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,200 Black bears are secretive 99 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:03,800 and, like other researchers, 100 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,280 he rarely saw the animals he was studying. 101 00:06:07,280 --> 00:06:09,480 Lynn thought there had to be a better way. 102 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,560 Until now, the only way to follow a bear 103 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:18,640 was with a radio collar from the air. 104 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:24,320 You track the bear from an aeroplane, looking at the tops of trees. 105 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,840 You can't even see the bear that you're studying. 106 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:30,480 You put some dots on a map, you think you know a lot about bears, 107 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:32,240 cos you know where they went, 108 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:34,360 but you have no idea what they're doing. 109 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:39,000 This is why Eagles Nest 110 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,240 presented such an amazing opportunity for Lynn - 111 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,440 if people were comfortable feeding bears in their own gardens, 112 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,880 why not build similar relationships with them in the wild? 113 00:06:51,840 --> 00:06:56,360 To come to that realisation took me an embarrassingly long time. 114 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,920 I had to overcome my own fears, the stuff I grew up with, 115 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:02,880 reading the hunting magazines, watching the media. 116 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:06,560 I'm embarrassed to say how dumb I was. 117 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,840 I mean, I'm supposed to have an open mind as a scientist. 118 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,200 But something that's part of your being, 119 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:13,920 this fear of bears - 120 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,800 it takes a lot to overcome that with people. 121 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,160 Lynn wanted to uncover the black bear's world 122 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,360 and the proximity of Eagles Nest 123 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:25,880 offered him the chance to answer some important questions. 124 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:29,920 One of the reason I'm studying bears right here in this spot 125 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,760 is after studying bears for several decades 126 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,440 in an area where they were not fed, 127 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:40,280 I want to find out, with people moving ever more into bear habitat, 128 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,160 what are the effects on the bears? 129 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,440 With a bit of food, Lynn was able to gain the bears' trust 130 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:50,920 and record how they behaved at first-hand. 131 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,480 They take naps, they nurse their cubs, 132 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,960 they make dens, they forage 133 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,760 and pretty soon, it gets so you can put a camera 134 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:02,240 just inches from the bear's face. 135 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,280 As Lynn felt more and more comfortable 136 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:21,920 being close to the bears, his confidence grew. 137 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:23,600 In the winter of 2007, 138 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,640 he did something many scientists considered risky. 139 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:33,040 Lynn put a camera inside the den of one of his research bears, June, 140 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,280 just days after she gave birth to Lily. 141 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:42,840 Previously, it was thought too dangerous 142 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:45,240 getting this close to a mother and her cubs. 143 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,520 These moments were shared online, 144 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,800 and from now on, Lily's fate would be inextricably linked 145 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:56,440 to her growing popularity. 146 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,280 With her distinctive light-brown face, 147 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:14,280 Lily stood out from her much darker brothers, Cal and Bud. 148 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,560 Lynn's long-term research colleague Sue Mansfield 149 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:24,680 has filmed Lily's life from the very beginning. 150 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:28,160 When Lily was born in 2007, 151 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,960 she was the apple of our eyes, 152 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,120 right off from the beginning. 153 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,840 And she was also the dominant cub of that litter. 154 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,160 I have a vivid recollection 155 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:44,360 of watching her brothers, Cal and Bud, 156 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:46,280 tussling as little cubs, 157 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:51,880 and then, kind of, out of stage left or whatever comes Lily. 158 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:55,520 And she just comes running and bowls them both right over. 159 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,640 I mean, she was always the centre of attention. 160 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:20,960 A year passed in Eagles Nest and Lily was now 15 months old. 161 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,920 She emerged from her first winter hibernation 162 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:26,040 together with her mother, June. 163 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:27,920 And Lynn had big plans for her. 164 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,920 'Lily is terrific, and she is the daughter of June, 165 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:36,000 'the bear we have spent the most time with. 166 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,320 'And we could go there and watch June interact with her cubs as if 167 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:47,120 'we weren't there, and Lily grew up like that, trusting the researchers.' 168 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:51,080 Together, using a little bit of food, Lynn and Sue were able to get 169 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,440 close enough to put a radio collar on Lily. 170 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,960 'I remember when we got a collar on Lily. 171 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,240 'Um, you know, she was so busy eating the nuts 172 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,760 'that she finally just gave up and just let us do it.' 173 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,920 Previously, scientists would not have dreamed of getting this 174 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,920 close to wild black bears without tranquilizing them. 175 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:13,720 It was a breakthrough moment. 176 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:17,400 But then, once the nuts were gone, suddenly she realises, 177 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,200 "Oh, what's this?" 178 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,680 And she's rolling around on the ground, you know, 179 00:11:21,680 --> 00:11:24,800 pawing at it, trying to get it off. 180 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:29,360 After a while, they just give up and accept it and that's what she did. 181 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,200 With her new collar fitted, 182 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:34,320 they could follow Lily's every move on a computer. 183 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:38,320 And, most importantly, walk with her in the woods. 184 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,200 Not to act like a proud parent or anything, 185 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:46,880 but this family of bears is providing more information about bear biology 186 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:49,520 than any bear in the world ever has. 187 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:58,480 It's just amazing. The relationship Sue and I have with this family... 188 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,480 opens the door to stuff we didn't believe was possible. 189 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:11,120 It was pioneering but controversial because standard practice 190 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,720 believed that a fed bear was a dangerous bear. 191 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:16,960 In order to challenge this assumption, 192 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,800 Lynn and Sue spent time walking with Lily. 193 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:25,680 They began a diary of her life, which they published online. 194 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:29,400 Lily was now being followed by thousands of bear enthusiasts 195 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:31,760 every day on Lynn's research website. 196 00:12:47,560 --> 00:12:51,880 By now, Lily had become so famous that people came from far and wide 197 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:54,000 to meet the bears in person. 198 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:00,400 Now it's time to face your worst fear. Your worst nightmare here! 199 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:02,040 What's his name? 200 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,080 Black as midnight! LAUGHTER 201 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:10,040 Lynn was encouraging people to overcome their instinctive fears. 202 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,400 Whoa, you're not even using your teeth! 203 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:19,520 'I think people have a primal fear of any animal 204 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,760 'that has bigger, more pointed teeth than we have.' 205 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:29,000 They're the perfect animal to play the villain in TV programmes or 206 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,080 whatever, with that kind of history. 207 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:35,120 'We are fighting a big tradition of beliefs about bears.' 208 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,240 OK, can you reach it, Dale? 209 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,240 CAMERA CLICKS Cute paws! 210 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:43,280 'The best way to do that is let people see real bears.' 211 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,560 They learn directly from the bears, not from me, 212 00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:49,560 and nobody can refute what they have seen. 213 00:13:49,560 --> 00:13:51,400 You want a pecan? 214 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:53,240 There! 215 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,680 Records show that only one person every two years is 216 00:13:56,680 --> 00:13:59,080 killed by a black bear. 217 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:00,400 In America, 218 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,720 people are 100 times more likely to be killed by lightning. 219 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:19,160 By now, Lily was a year-and-a-half old 220 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,960 and nearly ready to leave her mother, June. 221 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,120 LOW, MOTOR-LIKE GROWLS 222 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:41,280 It's interesting that they are nursing just before family break-up. 223 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,840 Cubs make a unique motor-like sound when they suckle. 224 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:48,920 It means they are content. 225 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:50,480 LOW GROWLS CONTINUE 226 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,520 Female black bears normally have cubs every two years, 227 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:07,320 and June was ready to mate again. 228 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:18,080 Then, a large male appeared in their territory. 229 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:35,760 June's scent had attracted Big Harry. He's over 200kg. 230 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:51,880 Male bears can kill youngsters, so Lily retreated up a tree. 231 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:55,920 Having mated, June's instinct would be to reject her cubs. 232 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:01,400 From this moment on, Lily and her brothers would be on their own. 233 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,160 Lily's brothers, Cal and Bud, 234 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:16,240 moved off to find new territories far away. 235 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:22,360 Lily, as a daughter, was allowed to establish a territory within June's. 236 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,880 Lynn and Sue's research was going from strength to strength. 237 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,600 After 15 years of following bears in Eagles Nest, 238 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,000 they had a wealth of data on 14 collared bears. 239 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,120 While Lynn and Sue were able to observe 240 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:50,520 and record detailed behaviour as never before, 241 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,560 some began to question their hands-on approach 242 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:55,200 to studying the bears. 243 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,200 Was feeding bears making them dangerous? 244 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:23,040 As winter approached, Lynn and Sue continued their research, 245 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:25,040 following Lily's every move. 246 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:28,080 She was pregnant... 247 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,040 ..presenting Lynn with a unique opportunity. 248 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:39,280 For the first time, they set up a live den cam, 249 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:41,720 broadcasting it online. 250 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,200 CUB WHINES 251 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:02,800 Lily's rise to fame came with the den cam in 2010. 252 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,360 She gave birth to a single cub 253 00:18:07,360 --> 00:18:12,360 and became an overnight internet sensation. 254 00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:14,040 CUB SCREECHES 255 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:19,720 Until now, scientists thought that black bears just slept 256 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,520 through the winter. 257 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,240 But the camera told a different story. 258 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:35,160 The main reason we put that camera in there was 259 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,840 so we could learn what happens in a den when nobody's there. 260 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:43,920 And we thought, "Who would be interested in watching a bear sleep?" 261 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:47,960 Well, it turned out there was way more than sleep going on in the den. 262 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,080 CUB SCREECHES 263 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:53,360 A den cam fan offered to set up a Facebook page 264 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:55,440 for Lily the Black Bear. 265 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,720 And she went viral. 266 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,440 Her popularity grew by the day. 267 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,080 She just might be the most popular bear in the world, 268 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:10,920 and she lives right here in Minnesota. 269 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:15,000 Lily became famous when she gave birth to a cub live on a webcam. 270 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:17,840 Since then, her fan following has gone international. 271 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:22,160 She has more than 131,000 fans on Facebook. 272 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,320 LYNN: We couldn't believe what was happening. 273 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:29,600 We saw people joining the Facebook page thousands per hour. 274 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,880 150 countries around the world were watching her. 275 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:38,760 There was over 500 classrooms following her daily. 276 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,040 We knew that Lily was making a difference. 277 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:49,040 When Lily and her cub, Hope, eventually emerged from hibernation 278 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:51,560 in spring, they were oblivious to the fact 279 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:54,600 they had become international celebrities. 280 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:58,200 However, no-one was prepared for what was about to happen next. 281 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,280 OK, no, no biting the shoe. 282 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:15,720 HE CHUCKLES 283 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:23,040 It was an early spring that year and Hope was very, very tiny 284 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:27,080 when they left the den, and we were a little concerned about how 285 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:30,760 things were going to work out. But things seemed to be going fine. 286 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:45,400 We were very hopeful that it was going to be a successful litter. 287 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:49,920 And, um, then, at one point, 288 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:52,640 Lily abandoned Hope. 289 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:55,720 It's me, bear! 290 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,800 Lily began to follow the trail of some male footprints, 291 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,280 moving away from Hope. 292 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:09,200 It's me, bear. Come, Lily! It's me! 293 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:15,200 And then she kept going, and she didn't return. 294 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:21,320 Abandoned in the woods alone, 295 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:24,400 Hope was far too young to fend for herself. 296 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,520 Too small to have a radio collar, she simply disappeared. 297 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:46,480 All that Lynn and Sue could do was follow Lily...and wait. 298 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,120 What I wish you could tell me is, 299 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:53,600 why did you leave Hope, hm? 300 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:55,000 Why did you do that? 301 00:21:57,640 --> 00:21:59,720 Made you look pretty bad, you know. 302 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,520 The eyes of the world watched the drama unfold. 303 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:20,160 It was very difficult to have this bear who had become 304 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:24,000 so famous and had such a huge following, um... 305 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:27,560 ..leave her cub. 306 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:34,760 And, um, I mean, even just for us as researchers, it was huge. 307 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:39,840 And not only did we have that to deal with from our perspective, 308 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:46,440 but we were also under the spotlight from thousands and thousands 309 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:51,040 of people around the world that were watching the story unfold. 310 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,000 Both Sue and Lynn wanted to understand why Lily had 311 00:22:58,000 --> 00:22:59,000 abandoned Hope. 312 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:04,160 After five days, Lynn was convinced that Hope was dead. 313 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:09,640 But then, a lone cub was spotted. 314 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:12,040 Lynn went to investigate. 315 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:17,080 It's hard to believe this is Hope up here, actually, because... 316 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:21,160 ..it's just so far. 317 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:32,120 DISTANT VOICE: Hope! 318 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:33,760 OK! 319 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:37,200 She almost came down... She went down. Oh, OK. 320 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,240 Did you see her? Yeah. 321 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:42,680 It's me, bear. 322 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:46,200 It's me. Don't you think that's her? 323 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,600 It's got to be her, right? I do, yeah. Yeah. 324 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,480 Unbelievably, it was Hope. 325 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,640 Her fans around the world went crazy. 326 00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:05,040 But the drama wasn't over. The big question was what to do next. 327 00:24:07,360 --> 00:24:14,320 We had this huge following and many people with opinions on what 328 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:19,040 we should be doing, and we are struggling with a situation 329 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:21,960 that was entirely new to us. 330 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:28,200 Should they let nature take its course, or intervene? 331 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,480 HOPE SCREECHES FIERCELY 332 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:43,640 They decided to take things into their own hands, driven by 333 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,040 their belief that there was an opportunity to learn something new. 334 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,680 And also, their own basic instincts. 335 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,040 SCREECHING CONTINUES 336 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:00,280 'We have been criticised,' 337 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:04,360 but I don't know how anybody could work as closely as we do with these 338 00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:09,440 animals without getting emotionally involved to a certain extent. 339 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:13,080 We're biologists, but we're human as well. 340 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,880 Lynn and Sue attempted something no-one had done before - 341 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,040 to reunite a lost bear cub with its mother. 342 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:27,480 Would Lily accept Hope? 343 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,880 Eventually, Hope did begin to suckle... 344 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:49,880 but after a couple of days, 345 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,680 it became obvious that Lily's milk had run dry. 346 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:02,280 Lynn felt that it was likely that a hormonal change moved Lily's focus 347 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:05,280 from looking after Hope to looking for a mate. 348 00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:10,520 Now pregnant, her bond with Hope had weakened. 349 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,760 She was left in the wild to her own devices. 350 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:23,080 She was going downhill real fast. I was afraid she was going to die. 351 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:32,720 They decided to provide food for Hope in the woods. 352 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:37,000 We had already intervened by putting, you know, mom and cub 353 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:42,480 back together again, so then it seems that there's a responsibility 354 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:47,360 to ensure that the cub gets fed and not starve to death when it's with 355 00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:51,600 mom because she doesn't have milk, so it became a progression 356 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:52,600 from there. 357 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,880 Sue kept up her visits to Hope for a few weeks, 358 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,360 and remarkably, it worked. 359 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,920 I would stand there at the tree and I would call. 360 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:30,000 Sometimes she would come and sometimes she didn't. 361 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,480 Initially, if she didn't come, I'd still leave some food. 362 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:37,880 As she got bigger, I thought, well, if she's not coming 363 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,120 then she's probably just fine. 364 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:48,240 To the delight of the thousands of Lily's fans, Hope had made it. 365 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,480 Saving Hope may have pleased some, 366 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,520 but such an act was always going to divide opinion. 367 00:28:05,120 --> 00:28:08,200 Marshall Helmberger, editor of the local newspaper, 368 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:11,840 followed Lily's story during that time. 369 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:18,320 Well, I think Lynn faced a dilemma here with what to do with Hope, 370 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:22,200 but if you look at the past practice for Lynn, 371 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,720 and also for other wildlife biologists, 372 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:30,120 I think standard protocol in most wildlife research would be 373 00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:34,160 that you wouldn't intervene. Nature isn't a Disney production. 374 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:36,400 It uh... 375 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,800 Young animals die all the time. 376 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:44,560 I think most people, at least in this area, would feel that you wouldn't 377 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:48,640 treat a bear cub any differently simply because people are 378 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:51,880 following its every movement on the internet. 379 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:02,240 Lily and Hope's public drama had divided opinion. 380 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,120 Although her fans were delighted, some local residents felt that this 381 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:10,360 incident and the whole feeding of bears had gone a step too far. 382 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:16,720 I just don't think it's a good idea in a populated area to feed 383 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,040 these bears and get 'em so habituated to people, 384 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,560 and look at us as a means of getting food. 385 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:27,200 Cos that's what they're all about is getting fattened up 386 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:32,080 for the winter. I just don't think it's a good idea. I really don't. 387 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:39,240 Whether they are his research bears with collars or simply bears that 388 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:41,880 like to use that feeding station, 389 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:45,960 they learn to associate deck equals food. 390 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:55,640 What's different here is you also don't let your grandkids go out 391 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:57,680 with s'mores or ice cream cones 392 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:01,320 and wander toward the back of the yard or on the road 393 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,160 because if there's a bear anywhere around, 394 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,640 they are going to come toward them because they think, "Oh, good, 395 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,240 "there's a human here, they're bringing me food." 396 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,160 It's kind of divided the community because there's been about 397 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:18,800 a dozen households that have been hand-feeding bears 398 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:24,400 in this community for over 50 years, and so most people that have lived 399 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:28,960 here for a long time know bears, they're used to seeing bears. 400 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:32,600 A bear can walk through their yard, it's a joy. 401 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:39,920 In 2011, a group of 38 residents signed a letter protesting 402 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,840 the renewal of Lynn Rogers' permit because, they said, 403 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:47,200 his collared bears posed a risk to children among others. 404 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:55,960 At the same time, the community of Eagles Nest set up a committee 405 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:57,840 to resolve bear complaints. 406 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:02,960 Oblivious to all this controversy, one month later, 407 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,680 Lily did something no-one expected. 408 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:08,440 She re-united with Hope. 409 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:45,160 However, Lily was in an unusual situation. 410 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:49,440 She was now pregnant, with a very young cub in tow. 411 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,800 And as winter arrived, Lily and Hope denned together. 412 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:04,400 Lily gave birth to twins, one of which didn't survive. 413 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:09,480 Once again, Lynn and Sue recorded the birth on a live webcam. 414 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,760 It was a rare opportunity to see how a litter of different-aged cubs 415 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:15,960 gets along. 416 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:33,840 When the family emerged in spring, Hope and Lily were back out 417 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:35,600 exploring the woods together. 418 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:48,600 And the remaining cub provided a playmate. 419 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:12,400 A few months later, in early September, 420 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:15,280 Hope's story was to take a remarkable new twist. 421 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:21,560 This was the very last footage of the family seen together. 422 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:27,120 A popular Minnesota bear 423 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:29,760 being tracked by the Wildlife Research Institute in Ely 424 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:32,400 has vanished. The bear's name is Hope. 425 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,400 The research group says they've had a hard time keeping a radio collar 426 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:39,520 on Hope, and they fear that she may have been shot by a hunter. 427 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:44,160 Hope was not wearing a collar to identify her as a research bear. 428 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:47,280 She was legally shot at a hunter's bait site, 429 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:49,120 close to Lynn's research cabin. 430 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:57,560 To lose a bear that we've been following for that length of time 431 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:03,880 is huge. Each year we learn more, 432 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:09,120 and the data we collect builds on the data that we already have 433 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,600 on that bear, and it... 434 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:18,680 It informs and enriches the things that we've already collected. 435 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:26,400 And to think that... 436 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:35,080 ..you know, that can be ended so quickly by a hunter's bullet, um... 437 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:43,920 The shooting of Hope generated an international outcry 438 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:47,400 from Lily's Facebook fans who attacked the hunter online. 439 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:52,800 Some bear hunters lashed out at Lily's fans in response. 440 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:54,640 They set up a rival Facebook site 441 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:57,600 to give the hunting community's point of view. 442 00:34:57,600 --> 00:34:59,280 They felt that if the bears had names 443 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:03,400 and became famous it would interfere with their right to hunt them. 444 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:05,160 They began to take a stand against Lynn 445 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:07,080 and his collared research bears. 446 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,200 Lily became famous last year 447 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:13,800 when she gave birth to a cub live on a webcam, 448 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:17,360 but despite her popularity and the fact she's a research bear, 449 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:19,480 Lily isn't protected by the State. 450 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:23,560 Tonight, John Laurenson shows us why one group of hunters believes 451 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:25,080 she is fair game. 452 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:29,560 Lily was now a bear with a bounty. 453 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:41,200 Hunting in northern Minnesota is a way of life. It's big business. 454 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:45,840 Bears are so successful here, their numbers need to be controlled. 455 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,680 The state of Minnesota decides how many permits to award through 456 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:53,320 a lottery system depending on the health of the bear population. 457 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:58,840 The revenue then goes back into bear conservation. 458 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,680 Rick and Cindy live in Eagles Nest, and like some residents, 459 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:09,040 hunt bears not for trophies, but for food. 460 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:16,600 I am a hunter. There's real satisfaction providing the food 461 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:19,920 that we eat. We don't have to buy stuff at the grocery store, 462 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:24,160 very little. We eat quite well. 463 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,280 Rick has been approached by other hunters locally, and offered 464 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:31,920 a reward for shooting Lily or her family of collared research bears. 465 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:36,160 I was informed that there was a bounty out on collars 466 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:38,440 and if I shot one to let them know, 467 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:42,760 and then they would see that I got the money, which I... 468 00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:45,880 Yeah, I just kind of shook my head at that. 469 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:48,800 I would definitely avoid shooting a collared bear. 470 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:55,120 Current legislation requires hunters to set out bait sites 471 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:57,200 and shoot from high stands. 472 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:02,560 This gives them the best chance for a clean humane shot. 473 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,320 It's not illegal to shoot collared bears, 474 00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:11,520 but the State asks hunters not to. 475 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:16,840 Right around here there's probably a larger percentage of collared bears 476 00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:20,640 than wild bears, and it's hard enough to attract them in as it is 477 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:23,920 as a hunter. Four years ago... 478 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:30,640 I had three different collared bears come in, which we passed on. 479 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:36,360 It's kind of hard to do, actually. Yeah, it's like, hmm. 480 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:39,320 We watched them and I can honestly say... 481 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:43,240 I don't know whether I would have shot a collared bear at that point 482 00:37:43,240 --> 00:37:46,280 or not because I was getting rather frustrated. 483 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:48,520 And luckily that decision didn't have to be made 484 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:51,960 because a bear that came in that evening was the first bear I'd seen 485 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:54,600 that year that didn't have a collar. 486 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:58,680 And it was a very tasty bear! Yes, it was a very good bear! 487 00:37:58,680 --> 00:37:59,840 Yes, it was! 488 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:07,280 There are about 50 bears living in the woods around Eagles Nest. 489 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:09,360 This year Lynn has collared ten. 490 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:20,880 Dot is Lily's ten-year-old niece, who visits Glen and Nancy's garden 491 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:22,840 most days. 492 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,280 Aster is Lily's younger sister. 493 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:28,320 Come here, girl. 494 00:38:29,720 --> 00:38:30,760 Hey, girl. 495 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:36,800 Any one of these bears could be shot during the hunting season... 496 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:38,800 with Lily top of the list. 497 00:38:55,840 --> 00:39:00,000 We are now up to date with Lily's story. She is six years old, 498 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:03,080 and it's the day before hunting season. 499 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:07,320 I can hardly believe that people are out trying to shoot 500 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:12,000 this mother with cubs wearing a radio collar that we have 501 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:16,280 spent so many years working with. 502 00:39:16,280 --> 00:39:19,920 Lynn goes to great lengths to try to protect his collared bears. 503 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:25,840 OK. All right, bear. Come on. Right here. 504 00:39:27,240 --> 00:39:31,080 He has come today to decorate her collar with ribbons. 505 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:33,480 There. That was in your way, wasn't it? 506 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:36,360 OK. I gotta go to work here. 507 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:41,720 I support hunting, because if you don't control bear numbers 508 00:39:41,720 --> 00:39:44,360 to the number that people will tolerate, 509 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:46,800 they just want to get rid of them. 510 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:50,960 We just beg hunters not to shoot the radio collared bears. 511 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:53,040 OK, there we go. 512 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:58,040 We put ribbons on them so they can see that there's a collar. 513 00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:01,200 Most hunters respect that. Some don't. 514 00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:05,400 Well, I think anybody can see you. There's reflective strips on this. 515 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:10,640 Hunting season starts tomorrow. 516 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:14,360 For the next six weeks, Lynn and Sue track the collared bears, 517 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:16,760 following their movements to try and keep them safe. 518 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:29,120 Today is the first day of hunting season, September 1. 519 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:34,200 That's why I didn't sleep much last night, why I got up well before dawn 520 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:37,560 and was out just trying to see what was happening. 521 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:40,760 The first bears I checked on when I came to work this morning, 522 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:42,800 well, was Lily. 523 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:46,400 Each of their collared bears sends a GPS signal every ten minutes 524 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,680 to Lynn's computer. 525 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:51,720 I'm looking to see where some of these bears are. 526 00:40:51,720 --> 00:40:54,800 So I check each bear, see if there's enough movement 527 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:59,680 to be sure that it's still alive, and then is it in a location 528 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:02,720 where there's likely to be a hunter's bait or not. 529 00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:08,360 If we see a cluster of locations, it makes us wonder what is wrong. 530 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:12,040 GUNSHOT 531 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:19,760 Shots have been heard close to Lynn's cabin. 532 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:24,960 This time of year if you hear shooting, they're shooting a bear. 533 00:41:27,240 --> 00:41:30,080 I'm wearing orange because I don't want to get shot. 534 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:36,000 We've seen some of the hunter blogs, we've seen... 535 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:44,920 ..the threats to these bears written on social media... 536 00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:48,360 ..and we are worried. 537 00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:57,720 It's a hunter's vehicle. 538 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:03,480 Lynn responds to every gunshot he hears. 539 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:06,600 He follows his bears closely in hunting season, 540 00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:09,480 taking a personal risk to protect them. 541 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:11,160 GUNSHOT 542 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:24,600 This is close to Lily's territory, 543 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,560 but it's another bear signal he's picked up. 544 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:30,160 Aster - Lily's younger sister. 545 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:39,840 Something is wrong. Aster is not responding to Lynn's voice, 546 00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:42,400 and her signal suggests she is not moving. 547 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:53,840 It's me, bear. Come, come, Aster. You're OK. 548 00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:55,000 She's been shot. 549 00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:04,000 See her through the trees here. 550 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:11,240 And uh, she got up and hobbled off. I don't want to press her any more 551 00:43:11,240 --> 00:43:13,720 cos she doesn't want company. 552 00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:23,400 This is the first confirmation that some hunters are targeting 553 00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:24,400 his collared bears. 554 00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:34,000 The way that leg is just dangling, I think it's a shoulder shot. 555 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:39,400 There's probably bones broken up here. 556 00:43:56,800 --> 00:44:00,440 So far this year, Lily has escaped the bullets, 557 00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:02,440 but the odds are stacking up against her. 558 00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:03,840 It's me, bear. 559 00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:11,400 And there is more than just her life at stake this year. 560 00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:14,080 Come, Lily. 561 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:22,160 Lily has two cubs - Ellie and Eli. 562 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:26,600 It's now the middle of September and nuts and berries 563 00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:28,440 in the woods are becoming scarce. 564 00:44:46,680 --> 00:44:51,400 Ellie is seven months old, and like her mum is naturally inquisitive. 565 00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:55,280 Her brother Eli is more reserved. 566 00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:02,600 There are four weeks remaining in the hunting season, 567 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:05,200 and natural food is becoming scarce in the woods. 568 00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:12,520 It's not the cold weather that drives the bears in to hibernation, 569 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:15,600 it's the availability of food. 570 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:19,240 And at this time of year, there are two alternatives, 571 00:45:19,240 --> 00:45:21,560 hunters' baits in the woods, 572 00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:24,920 or the gardens and bird feeders of Eagles Nest. 573 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:28,960 But bears are not welcome at every cabin. 574 00:45:30,240 --> 00:45:37,120 I had a friend over, and we were watching television in my home here, 575 00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:43,440 and she turned around and looked out and said, "Oh, my God, the bear." 576 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:47,880 As the bears become habituated to being around humans, 577 00:45:47,880 --> 00:45:49,840 it creates a problem. 578 00:45:49,840 --> 00:45:52,720 We've had bear come in to the yard, we've had them up on 579 00:45:52,720 --> 00:45:55,280 our deck, they broke railings off, 580 00:45:55,280 --> 00:45:58,120 trying to get in to the house for food. 581 00:45:58,120 --> 00:46:01,400 And, if I may... 582 00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:03,920 here is the bear. 583 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:05,400 Like this. 584 00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:09,760 The bears that come here that are wild bears, 585 00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:13,280 which we enjoy, we have to sneak up 586 00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:16,400 to the window and be quiet, or they're gone, 587 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:20,880 whereas the collared bears really don't feel any reason to leave 588 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:22,800 until they're good and ready. 589 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:29,320 In my opinion, it's not a matter of if but it's a matter of when 590 00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:33,400 someone in this immediate area is going to get mauled 591 00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:37,720 or even killed by a black bear, a collared bear. 592 00:46:37,720 --> 00:46:42,520 To fearful people, any bear that does not run away at the slightest 593 00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:47,160 sight of a person they consider a threat. 594 00:46:47,160 --> 00:46:52,240 What I have found everywhere I go, with grizzly bears, black bears, 595 00:46:52,240 --> 00:46:59,200 polar bears, what ever, if they are not afraid of people, 596 00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:06,040 they become less dangerous, they become less apt to attack. 597 00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:10,560 No-one has ever been attacked here in Eagles Nest. 598 00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:13,320 Until recently, bear complaints are lower here 599 00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:15,640 than elsewhere in Minnesota. 600 00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:18,880 However, the controversy surrounding Lily's family is now 601 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:20,760 at crisis point. 602 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:23,360 In June 2013, Lynn's research permit 603 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:26,200 was restricted by the Department of Natural Resources, 604 00:47:26,200 --> 00:47:31,440 or DNR for short, partly because of fears for public safety. 605 00:47:31,440 --> 00:47:33,720 Lynn is currently suing the DNR, 606 00:47:33,720 --> 00:47:37,160 who were unavailable to comment for legal reasons. 607 00:47:37,160 --> 00:47:40,360 If Lynn loses, he will have to remove the collars from Lily 608 00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:42,640 and the other bears. 609 00:47:42,640 --> 00:47:48,120 At this point, this research project is fighting for survival. 610 00:47:48,120 --> 00:47:55,680 Although we have managed to educate a large proportion of the public, 611 00:47:55,680 --> 00:48:00,800 we have failed to educate wildlife officials, 612 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:06,280 and the wildlife officials are the ones that make the rules 613 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:08,200 that govern our permit. 614 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:12,760 Until a judgment is reached, all they can do is try 615 00:48:12,760 --> 00:48:15,400 and keep their remaining collared bears safe. 616 00:48:23,080 --> 00:48:27,480 It's Friday the 13th, and ominously, Lynn sees something on Dot's 617 00:48:27,480 --> 00:48:29,160 signal that worries him. 618 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:40,000 On the computer, Dot's collar took a fast ride 619 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:43,000 from deep in the woods to in the middle of Ely, 620 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:46,520 so that's where we're headed first. 621 00:48:46,520 --> 00:48:49,880 We're going to home in on signal in Ely... 622 00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:52,760 ..using telemetry. 623 00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:03,640 Dot's signal leads Lynn to the house of a DNR state ranger. 624 00:49:03,640 --> 00:49:05,880 It can only mean one thing. 625 00:49:05,880 --> 00:49:08,280 She's been shot. 626 00:49:08,280 --> 00:49:11,040 Lynn and Sue are anxious to find out what happened. 627 00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:23,560 He said that he got a call to come pick up the collar 628 00:49:23,560 --> 00:49:27,760 from a hunter that shot her 629 00:49:27,760 --> 00:49:31,960 and everything was legal. 630 00:49:31,960 --> 00:49:38,240 So, it's another disappointment that, even though the DNR sent out 631 00:49:38,240 --> 00:49:40,880 a letter to all hunters in the area asking them 632 00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:43,760 not to shoot radio collared bears, 633 00:49:43,760 --> 00:49:48,400 and there's plenty press coverage and all asking that from us, 634 00:49:48,400 --> 00:49:52,440 and the signs we have everywhere, the ribbons on her collar, 635 00:49:52,440 --> 00:49:56,320 there was another hunter that didn't care, same as with Aster. 636 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:07,440 It's really hard to understand why. 637 00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:13,360 It just feels senseless. 638 00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:26,760 That evening, there were a frenzy of comments online from both 639 00:50:26,760 --> 00:50:28,560 sides in the Facebook war. 640 00:50:41,000 --> 00:50:43,240 There are four weeks of hunting to get through, 641 00:50:43,240 --> 00:50:45,040 and Lily is clearly not safe. 642 00:50:46,480 --> 00:50:47,880 To make matters worse, 643 00:50:47,880 --> 00:50:51,240 she's now feeding underneath a hunter's camouflaged stand. 644 00:51:00,080 --> 00:51:06,160 Nearby, Aster, the bear that was wounded by a hunter, is still alive. 645 00:51:06,160 --> 00:51:11,080 What's amazing is, I can't believe it, in her condition, 646 00:51:11,080 --> 00:51:15,320 she was way down in the state park, walked 12 miles, 647 00:51:15,320 --> 00:51:22,080 20km north-northwest, deep into the road-less wilderness. 648 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:27,320 She's now come back about eight miles to this dense cedar swamp, 649 00:51:27,320 --> 00:51:31,320 which is a common place that injured bears take refuge. 650 00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:39,160 The injured bears feel vulnerable. They know they can't run, 651 00:51:39,160 --> 00:51:42,280 they can't climb, they can't fight, 652 00:51:42,280 --> 00:51:46,440 so they just want to stay away from any danger. 653 00:51:51,120 --> 00:51:53,480 In the past, Lynn has seen bears recover 654 00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:57,000 from severe hunting injuries. 655 00:51:57,000 --> 00:51:59,160 I want to be able to track her to a den. 656 00:52:00,960 --> 00:52:03,880 She's pregnant, so that should be soon. 657 00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:28,240 Hunting season is almost over, 658 00:52:28,240 --> 00:52:31,640 and time is running out for both bears and hunters. 659 00:52:48,320 --> 00:52:50,200 On the 27th of September, 660 00:52:50,200 --> 00:52:53,880 news came in of another collared bear being shot. 661 00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:56,960 It was June, Lily's mother, 662 00:52:56,960 --> 00:52:59,720 and Lynn's oldest and favourite research bear. 663 00:53:02,920 --> 00:53:09,440 Sue called and said the collar is at the Department of Natural Resources. 664 00:53:09,440 --> 00:53:13,680 I knew she was dead, and just hit with shock 665 00:53:13,680 --> 00:53:17,120 and then a feeling of emptiness, 666 00:53:17,120 --> 00:53:21,200 worse than some people that I've lost. 667 00:53:24,680 --> 00:53:28,720 It's kind of like an ending of an era. 668 00:53:37,720 --> 00:53:44,160 Killing June was the best way to get to Lynn and I, 669 00:53:44,160 --> 00:53:46,240 to hurt us, to hurt the research. 670 00:53:51,120 --> 00:53:56,000 In many ways, she will live on through everything 671 00:53:56,000 --> 00:54:03,520 that she's given to us, and the window into black bear life 672 00:54:03,520 --> 00:54:08,400 that she opened for us won't close with her death. 673 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:13,560 Again, there was nothing illegal about the shooting... 674 00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:19,120 ..but for Lynn and Sue, this was now the worst hunting season on record. 675 00:54:20,640 --> 00:54:23,960 Two of their bears have been killed and one injured. 676 00:54:27,240 --> 00:54:31,720 Any hunter looking to make a statement had certainly succeeded. 677 00:54:36,960 --> 00:54:39,880 Here in Eagles Nest, the relationship between people 678 00:54:39,880 --> 00:54:42,600 and bears is always going to be a close one. 679 00:54:47,640 --> 00:54:52,760 We love the bears. We do. We love the wildlife, 680 00:54:52,760 --> 00:54:55,520 that's why we are here. We love the wildlife. 681 00:54:55,520 --> 00:54:58,640 I think the bears are, they're a natural part of the environment, 682 00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:02,840 along with wolves and moose and everything else. 683 00:55:02,840 --> 00:55:06,480 We like to see them. It's part of it, it's part of why we moved here. 684 00:55:06,480 --> 00:55:10,120 I love to see the bears. I love to see any of the wildlife, 685 00:55:10,120 --> 00:55:14,800 but you got to take it with what it is. It's a wild animal. 686 00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:20,080 If the bears were still "wild", and were not as big a problem, 687 00:55:20,080 --> 00:55:24,760 as they are today, I would have no problem with that. 688 00:55:24,760 --> 00:55:29,000 A lot of times it isn't a bear problem, it's a people problem. 689 00:55:29,000 --> 00:55:30,200 Mm-hmm. 690 00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:35,160 The bears can learn to live with the people, 691 00:55:35,160 --> 00:55:40,400 and even though there's more people, I think the bears can adapt to that 692 00:55:40,400 --> 00:55:43,520 pretty well if the people will allow them to. 693 00:55:43,520 --> 00:55:48,960 The bears certainly do make Eagles Nest what it is for many people. 694 00:55:50,640 --> 00:55:53,080 Be it good or bad. 695 00:56:00,040 --> 00:56:02,480 Two weeks after hunting season ends, 696 00:56:02,480 --> 00:56:06,120 Lily finds a den deep in a rock crevice. 697 00:56:07,320 --> 00:56:08,640 It's me. 698 00:56:09,640 --> 00:56:11,480 It's me, bear. 699 00:56:14,400 --> 00:56:15,520 Come, Lily. 700 00:56:17,080 --> 00:56:18,960 You're OK, bear. It's me. 701 00:56:20,160 --> 00:56:21,720 It's me, bear. 702 00:56:24,640 --> 00:56:25,680 Ah. 703 00:56:27,320 --> 00:56:32,000 You're coming cautiously, aren't you? But you're coming. 704 00:56:32,000 --> 00:56:33,160 Good bear. 705 00:56:35,240 --> 00:56:38,840 For the first few weeks, she can be tempted out for a bit of food. 706 00:56:40,520 --> 00:56:44,400 OK. Right, bear. Come on. Right here. 707 00:56:47,640 --> 00:56:49,280 I'm just going to sit down here. 708 00:56:50,880 --> 00:56:52,320 Hey, bear. 709 00:56:53,400 --> 00:56:55,640 She is safe for another year, 710 00:56:55,640 --> 00:57:00,240 and now the hunting season is over, Lynn removes her ribbons for winter. 711 00:57:00,240 --> 00:57:01,920 Good bear. 712 00:57:01,920 --> 00:57:06,400 Lily and her cubs will remain in this den until spring next year. 713 00:57:13,840 --> 00:57:15,480 There. 714 00:57:15,480 --> 00:57:20,120 I know you don't care one wit about me, it's only the food, 715 00:57:20,120 --> 00:57:21,960 but I'm glad you're here. 716 00:57:23,960 --> 00:57:25,160 OK now. 717 00:57:27,520 --> 00:57:31,280 Ellie, the bolder female cub, doesn't turn down the opportunity 718 00:57:31,280 --> 00:57:32,520 for a snack. 719 00:57:36,960 --> 00:57:39,760 One of the great things is that Lily, 720 00:57:39,760 --> 00:57:44,640 probably the most famous bear alive, has made it through hunting season. 721 00:57:46,120 --> 00:57:50,360 She is settling down. I don't think she is vulnerable to a hunter 722 00:57:50,360 --> 00:57:51,560 any more this year. 723 00:57:55,680 --> 00:57:57,800 The future of Lynn's research with Lily 724 00:57:57,800 --> 00:58:01,880 and her family is uncertain until the legal battle is resolved. 725 00:58:03,120 --> 00:58:06,040 What we do know is that Lily has survived the most challenging 726 00:58:06,040 --> 00:58:08,080 year of her life. 727 00:58:08,080 --> 00:58:13,160 Lily is a pretty good bear. She has done more than just about any 728 00:58:13,160 --> 00:58:16,000 bear of letting us know about bear life. 729 00:58:17,360 --> 00:58:20,320 Lily is still alive. She will go on. 730 00:58:22,720 --> 00:58:26,560 The life of a celebrity bear is not without its hazards, 731 00:58:26,560 --> 00:58:31,240 but fortunately, she will spend the next five months below ground, 732 00:58:31,240 --> 00:58:33,680 out of the limelight.