Page 3 - DEC2020

December 2020 Newfound Lake Life Page 3
By Carolyn J. Phinney
LOT. And during the Fall and Spring, out in the wild, acorns are a staple of a bear’s diet. They are filled with nutrients in- side that little hard shell. When they come out of hibernation and there’s not much growing in the woods, bears scavenge for Acorns. Ben has been quoted in saying, “Nothing else lasts as well as acorns”. Here’s a little tidbit for the next office party or fam- ily get together, Bears don’t eat the shell, they crack it open with their teeth, put them on the back of a paw and then separate the meat from the shell. I can only wish that some humans had the same patience that bears do.
The Kilham Bear Center only became a 5013C nonprofit two years ago and does not re- ceive State funding and relies on donations and their personal fi- nances. Its wards (45 orphaned bears, to date) are putting the call out for acorns this fall, and apples if there are still some to be had. They are also looking for rough pine boards to aide in the build- ing of Den Boxes for each cub.
As much as it tugs on the heart stings to want to go visit bear cubs, the Kilham Bear Center is not open to the public. Its soul mission is to prepare the bears to survive, and thrive, out in the wild. Squirty, a past ward of the
orphanage and a bear Ben has studied for the last two decades, is now 22 years old and has a lin- eage of over 3 generations. The goal is to prepare each orphaned or injured bear to be like Squirty; thriving within its own habitat.
For Acorn and Apple dona- tions, there is a large bin at the end of Center’s driveway at 72 Grafton Turnpike Rd, Lyme, NH 03768.
To learn more about the Kil- ham Bear Center, how to donate monetarily which is always ap- preciated, or for larger donations of pine, contact them t (603) 795 -4135 or go to: https://kilham- bearcenter.org/donate.
As the cold winds blow and snow starts to flurry and speckle the fiery, brilliant sunset skies of fall, bears take Mother Nature’s cue that it is time to eat up and prepare for their winter’s nap. But what if you are an orphaned bear? What do you do?
Thankfully, there is the Kil- ham Bear Center. The Kilham Bear Center has been rehabil- itating and releasing injured, orphaned and abandoned black bear cubs brought to them by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department since 1993, It is the only one in the region. Ben Kil- ham, with his wife, Debbie, and
sister, Phoebe, (now, along with his nephew Ethan) have been taking in orphaned bears for the last 30 years and preparing them to be released back out to the wild after their first hiberna- tion in May – June. Bears eat A
Nutty Request for Orphaned Bears
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