Public’s help sought in finding cubs
The famous bear Mink is shown in this undated photo with cubs in Hanover, New Hampshire. (Photo Courtesy Vermont Fish & Wildlife)
New Hampshire wildlife officials are hoping for sightings from the public to help them find three orphaned bear cubs in the Hanover-Lebanon area.
The cubs’ mother was Mink, a large female black bear that was recently found dead by the Mascoma River in Lebanon, according to the Valley News. The article stated that Hanover Deputy Fire Chief Michael Hinsley, found the animal by the river after state wildlife officials alerted him the bear’s tracking collar had shown no movement for days. The bear was likely hit by a motor vehicle, Andrew Timmins of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department told the Valley News. After Mink’s death, a search for the cubs came up empty, but, as Timmins also told the newspaper, he believes they’re still in the area and hopefully sightings are eventually reported. The hope was to bring the cubs to the Kilham Bear Center in Lyme for the winter, the Valley News report said.
Mink was perhaps the most famous bear the region has ever seen. She made national headlines in 2017, after roaming the Hanover area with her cubs and repeatedly looking for food at local residences — and teaching her young to do the same. Wildlife officials originally recommended the bear family be destroyed because they were too used to seeking food in neighborhoods, but public outcry prompted New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu to halt that action, and the three cubs were relocated to northern New Hampshire. Mink was eventually moved out of the area as well, but she eventually found her way back to this area and branched out into Vermont — she was seen in Woodstock in 2019.
Mink’s epic wanderings, spanning thousands of miles, will not soon be forgotten. And some of her younger family members are still around, aside from the three latest cubs (born this year) which are believed to still be in the Hanover-Lebanon area. Mink, you might say, has left her mark.
— Gareth Henderson
Anyone who sees the missing cubs should report sightings to their state wildlife authorities. These links contain relevant information from Vermont and New Hampshire departments.
