Whistler Mountain resident mother black bear Jeanie walks a cold snowy setting between the upper and lower villages on Dec. 2 at 4 a.m. Due to a poor berry crop (50 per cent loss) and changing ski area, Jeanie was forced to forage through the valley. Thanks to Conservation and RCMP Officers, Sylvia Dolson and the Bear Aversion Research Team, and Whistler-Blackcomb she and her daughter were pushed away from non-bear proof food sources and are now finally on their way to denning. Jeanie's role in the population is vital to understanding the adaptive behaviours of a resident bear in a rapidly changing landscape. This is the 12th year that I have been studying Jeanie which has generated a vast amount of data. She has been observed moving into her denning area as of Dec. 8. (Michael Allen, Bear Researcher).
