Warmer days a risk to bears

An early wake-up call for grizzly bears in southwest Canada may have endangered sows and their cubs.

Unseasonably warm weather turned dens soggy in January, prompting many female grizzlies to emerge months earlier than usual, says Jim Clark, a wildlife technician with the Alberta government.

Wildlife officials fear that as the sows left their dens, they may have abandoned newborn cubs that are too young to forage for food.

In addition, shortened hibernation puts the sows at risk because the plants they depend on for survival won’t be abundant until late spring.

-- Scott Doggett