Latest news with #LittleBear
Axios
07-05-2025
- Health
- Axios
Maymont's tiny black bear turns 20
Maymont's Little Bear celebrated his 20th birthday over the weekend with some apples and honey. Why it matters: Due to his chronic conditions, he likely wouldn't be alive today if he was left in the wild. Catch up quick: The American black bear has been with Maymont since May 2006, after the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources rescued him from a highway near Roanoke. Little Bear is smaller than average due to his dwarfism and symptoms that mimic Addison's disease, Maymont spokesperson Melissa Abernathy tells us. Those symptoms can include chronic fatigue and joint pain, which Abernathy says Maymont helps manage with medication. That also means that his companion Big Bear, who is about his same age, is almost 100 pounds heavier than him (476 pounds vs. 384). Fun fact: Abernathy tells Axios that Little Bear and Big Bear have a "big bro/little bro" relationship and that Little Bear's favorite napping spot is on the cliff.
The Independent
01-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Stargazing in May: A tale of two bears
Once upon a time, back in the golden age of gods and humans, the great god Jupiter caught sight of a nymph named Callisto. Her name means "the most beautiful," and Jupiter was smitten. But Callisto was a follower of Diana, goddess of the hunt, and sworn to chastity. That didn't deter Jupiter. He changed himself into the shape of Diana and lay down beside Callisto – who didn't realise the deception. When Callisto gave birth to a son, Arcas, she was expelled from Diana's group. Worse still, Jupiter's jealous wife Juno was on her trail. To protect Callisto, Jupiter turned her into a bear. Years passed, and Arcas – now a young man – stumbled across a bear while hunting in the woods. As he drew back his bow to bag this fine prize, Jupiter intervened to prevent the impending matricide: he turned Arcas into a bear, too, swung both ursines around by the stumpy tales and flung them into the sky, where they became the constellations we know to this day as the Great Bear (Ursa Major) and the Little Bear (Ursa Minor). In each constellation, four stars mark the bear's body, fainter stars (not shown on my star chart) depict their heads and legs, and a curve of three stars trace their long fluffy tails. And if you say – hey, bears don't have long tails! – then consider that when you swing a heavy beast around by its stump of a tail, then something has got to give… This account of the origin of the two celestial bears comes from the Roman poet Ovid, based on myths of the ancient Greeks. But the connection of Ursa Major with a bear goes back millennia earlier, to a bear-cult that was widespread across Siberia. Some astronomers think that Ursa Major is our oldest constellation, dating back 30,000 years to the time when humans crossed from Siberia into North America, because Native North American tribes also associate this star pattern with a bear. In their legends, the four stars in a rectangle depict the bear itself, while the three stars of the "tail" are a trio of hunters tracking it down. The seven bright stars in Ursa Major are the most recognisable star pattern in the sky, along with Orion. In Britain, they traditionally form the Plough; though – with this agricultural implement now obsolete – many people call it the Saucepan. In contemporary North America it's the Big Dipper, with its companion Ursa Minor denoted as the Little Dipper. Look closely at the handle of the Saucepan (or Big Dipper) and you'll see that the middle star – Mizar – has a fainter companion, called Alcor. It's one of the few double stars that you can split with the naked eye. Mizar and Alcor are often called the Horse and Rider, though in the native American tradition where these stars are hunters, Alcor is the pot they are carrying to cook the bear after they've killed it. The most famous star in the Little Bear is Polaris, otherwise known as the Pole Star or the North Star. As its name suggests, Polaris lies directly over the Earth's North Pole, so it always lies to the north in the sky as our planet rotates under it. Locate the Pole Star by drawing a line from the two end stars of the Plough (see the star chart), and you know you facing due north. As millennia pass, the Earth's axis swings slowly around in space, so Polaris was not always the star above the spinning planet. When the Greek astronomer Ptolemy drew up the definitive list of constellations that we largely use today, around AD 150, the north pole of the sky lay about half-way along Ursa Minor. Instead of focusing on one star, Greek astronomers used the whole star-pattern to indicate north. Greek navigators had an alternative name for the Little Bear – Kynosoura – which literally means "dog's tail" and must derive from some other ancient constellation-makers now lost to history. Because Kynosoura was the focus for both astronomers and navigators, the word cynosure has passed down to us as something that's the centre of attention, as in "the Mona Lisa is the cynosure of all eyes in the Louvre." What's Up After blazing in our evening sky since last autumn, Jupiter is now on its way out. You can catch the giant planet low in the north-west after sunset, but it's slipping down into the twilight glow. A narrow crescent Moon lies above Jupiter on 28 May. Mars is gradually fading as the faster-moving Earth pull away from the Red Planet, and it's now fainter than some of the stars in the evening sky. You'll find Mars between Regulus, in Leo, and the twin stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini. The Moon is nearby on 3 May; and on the next evening Mars brushes across the top of the star cluster Praesepe (popularly known as the Beehive): a memorable sight in binoculars or a small telescope. To the south, Leo's leading light Regulus forms a large triangle with another bluish-white star – Spica, in Virgo – and orange Arcturus in Boötes. The dim sprawling constellations of Hercules and Ophiuchus are rising in the east. There's more action in the morning sky. First, if you're up early on 6 May, watch out for particles from Halley's Comet speeding across the heavens and burning up as shooting stars, in the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. And Venus is putting on a brilliant show as the Morning Star, rising around 4am in the east. To its lower right – and 200 times fainter – you'll find Saturn. On the mornings of 22, 23 and 24 May the crescent Moon moves past these two planets as it heads towards the month's New Moon. Diary 3 May: Moon near Mars 4 May, 2.52pm: First Quarter Moon; Mars very near Praesepe 5 May: Moon near Regulus 6 May, before dawn: Maximum of Eta Aquarid meteor shower 9 May: Moon near Spica 12 May, 5.56pm: Full Moon 21 May, 0.59am: Last Quarter Moon 22 May, before dawn: Moon near Saturn 23 May, before dawn: Moon between Venus and Saturn 24 May, before dawn: Moon near Venus 27 May, 4.02am: New Moon
South China Morning Post
09-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Ex-combat sports athlete raises buffalo in China rental home, keeps it secret from landlord
A former combat sports athlete in China secretly keeps a buffalo in his rented home, claiming it motivates him to stay driven. Advertisement The unmarried man surnamed Chen, 30, hails from Foshan, Guangdong province in southeastern China. He told the mainland media outlet Xiaoxiang Morning Post that he works part-time as an equestrian and archery coach at a gym after retirement. Without a stable job, he earns about 6,000 yuan (US$820) a month. Chen has a puppy called Little Bear and got a buffalo to keep his dog company. Advertisement He said it is a four-month-old black calf he bought this January, which he named Bull Demon King.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Spirit of unity resonates during Red Lake State of the Band Address
Mar. 28—REDBY — The 2025 Red Lake Nation State of the Band Address cast a particular focus on treaties and why they matter. Held at the Oshkiimaajitahdah Community Center in Redby on Friday, honoring various treaties throughout history proved to be a common theme through speeches of the morning and early afternoon alongside song, dance and other Anishinaabe traditions. With music provided by the Little Bear Drum Group, the event kicked off with the procession of tribal royalty. Fred Desjarlait, Jr. then offered an opening prayer and following a veteran's song by Little Bear, members of the Red Lake Nation Tribal Council took turns at the podium. Reflecting on 2024 as Red Lake Nation proceeds through the first three months of 2025, all speakers reflected on the struggles of prior generations paralleling with struggles that persist today. "We gather here today as one people of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians," Tribal Secretary Sam Strong said, "united at a crossroads of history and hope. Our ancestors endured unimaginable trials so we could stand here today, practicing our way of life, speaking our language on land that was never ceded. Now is the time to honor that sacrifice. "Now is the time to come together, stronger, more united than ever, to build a future worthy of our children's dreams. We must come together, not just in words, but in spirit and in actions. We are one Nation." Underscoring Strong's remarks, Tribal Chairman Darrell Seki Sr. detailed a lengthy history regarding treaty obligations and Red Lake Nation's respective experiences. Similar to prior years, Seki detailed current efforts to restore boundaries to include the entirety of Upper Red Lake, of which roughly 60% currently falls within tribal boundaries. The band had introduced legislation last year as a means to comply with treaty negotiations of 1889, which was met with a mixture of support and opposition. A similar measure was introduced in January by Minnesota Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, which would transfer all state-owned land and real property in the Red Lake State Forest to the Nation, along with a 1-mile buffer of land surrounding Upper Red Lake. Seki detailed additional efforts during Red Lake Nation Day at the Capitol on March 26, including the tribal council's support for legislation that would provide for the ability of Red Lake conservation officers to enforce conservation laws on Upper Red Lake. "Because of their familiarity with the lake and because they inherently care about the health of the lake," Seki said. "Legislation has been drafted, has been introduced in both houses of the state legislature — providing for the ability of tribal conservation officers to enforce conservation laws on a portion of Red Lake that is currently considered off-reservation — with 30% stolen by fraud and deception." Seki also took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's role within the Department of Government Efficiency, saying the administration is creating profound uncertainty regarding funding for several tribal programs and initiatives. "One of the focuses is the dismantling of anything related to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as environmental justice, green energy, assisting underserved communities including tribes," Seki said. "Many programs, grants and services have been frozen, including ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, fish hatcheries and tribal electrification like solar. "But tribes are standing up to this assault. Tribes are governments with unique standing as spelled out in our treaties in Article VI of the United States Constitution, which says our treaties are the supreme law of the land." Seki also addressed Trump's Executive Order regarding birthright citizenship, the practice of granting citizenship to any child born within the U.S. an American citizen including those born to foreign citizens who happen to give birth while in the U.S. Trump's order states, "The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof.' Consistent with this understanding, Congress has further specified through legislation that 'a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof' is a national and citizen of the United States at birth." The order lays out two categories of those born in the U.S. and not "subject to jurisdiction thereof" including those whose "mother's presence was unlawfully present in the United States and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person's birth," or a similar case when a parent's presence is lawful but temporary. "He ordered what he has called a round-up and mass deportation of non-citizens who don't have current immigration documents," Seki said. "This has frightened many people of color who are U.S. citizens but lack a passport or other evidence of citizenship. "Indian culture became especially alarmed after hearing the arguments recently used in federal court by the U.S. Justice Department on President Trump's order ending birthright citizenship. These federal lawyers said birthright citizenship was not automatically conferred upon the offspring of American Indians not taxed in the 1800s because their native parents were not citizens. Therefore, the same should be true of children born to non-citizens today in the U.S. "The Justice Department lawyers failed to mention in their argument that Congress in 1924 enacted a law that conferred citizenship on all Native American Indians. The 1924 federal statute, as well as some treaties and agreements, make it very plain that today, American Indians are citizens of the United States. No presidential order can legally change that law." Emphasizing his commitment to defend tribal sovereignty, Seki noted the band must be ready should substantial funding cuts come to fruition in 2026. "We've got to stand up, not be afraid, stand firm in what we believe in," Seki said, "to protect our people here on the reservation from the small to the golden age, and the future generations." Tribal Treasurer Vernelle Lussier noted that out of 17,209 total enrolled Red Lake band members, around 7,000 members — or 41% of its population — reside inside of tribal boundaries. She encouraged unity of the band regardless of each member's physical location. "We are in unknown times today," Lussier said, "and that's just something we're all working to navigate through the best we can." Highlighting a spirit of unity, Red Lake Executive Administrator Jason Defoe and Red Lake Gaming CEO Angela Dauphinais also provided in-person speeches and several Red Lake agencies — ranging from the Red Lake Department of Agriculture to Chemical Health Programs and Red Lake Detention Services to the Department of Public Safety — offered video updates of their respective work. Such updates allowed attendees to take note of the variety of voices at the table to create a better Red Lake Nation for tomorrow. "The challenges we face — unemployment, addiction, loss of language, threats to our sovereignty — these threats do not discriminate. These are shared struggles, and as such, they demand a shared response," Strong left off. "As we look to the future, we must realize that we need to sustain ourselves. "We need to grow our own food. We will produce our own energy. We will be self-sustaining even when the world is in crisis. That is the strength of true sovereignty."
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Little Bear,' 'Arthur' and 'Clifford' are back: Why more parents are turning on 'gentle TV' shows from the '90s, '00s
Scour social media pages, and you'll find moms and dads recommending shows like Little Bear, Arthur and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to show kids. These programs, which first aired in the 1990s or early '00s, are making a comeback as juggernaut children's shows like CoComelon and Paw Patrol take over living rooms across the country. Looking for a mix of 'low-stimulation' and familiar shows that resonated with them as children, some parents are skipping the flashy colors, quick cuts and brash music that often characterizes newer programming, instead opting for what's been referred to as 'gentle TV' — shows that offer slower pacing, calmer sounds and colors that are more muted than maximalist. 'What I've noticed is that in the last 10 years, a lot of preschool shows have become sort of harder-edged and are more frenetic again,' Michael Hirsh, the creator and producer of shows including Little Bear, Franklin and Max & Ruby, told Yahoo Entertainment. There's a need for parents of preschool children to find programs that are 'gentle and calming, because there is so much noise out there,' he explained. That's where older shows fit right in. Morgan Eriquezzo, a speech-language pathologist and mother of two, agrees. 'When we were [not limiting screen time or monitoring shows] and I didn't know any better, I noticed a lot of tantrumming, I guess, and a lot of emotional outbursts,' Eriquezzo said of her 5-year-old daughter. In addition to the amount of screen time her children were clocking, the Bremen, Ga., mom also started evaluating and comparing the shows they were watching. 'CoComelon, for example, the screen never stops moving if you watch it. It's like a consistent movement, so it lights up something in a child's brain,' she said. 'It's constantly stimulating over and over and over again, and it never lets the mind rest on one scene.' 'We dedicate substantial care and resources to ensure all of our content, including CoComelon, is as enriching as it is entertaining. We work closely with experts in childhood development to inform our content development choices,' a spokesperson from Moonbug, which owns CoComelon, told Yahoo Entertainment. Referring to the animated kids' program on Netflix and YouTube as a 'high-stimulation' show, she then started looking for shows that featured scenes that lingered for at least four seconds so that her daughter 'has a chance to latch on to that scene and understand.' Next, Eriquezzo and her husband, who also have a 2-year-old daughter, started experimenting. 'I'm not kidding, on days that [our eldest daughter] would watch the [high-stimulation] shows, she would be so emotional. It was very whiny, crying, couldn't express herself, which looking back now, I look at it, she was just overstimulated and didn't know what to do,' Eriquezzo said. 'Now it's like a night-and-day difference. I mean, it's like a different kid.' Eriquezzo is one of many parents who have opted to show their young kids more gentle TV shows when they have screen time. 'One thing we've really seen is this increased awareness of the impacts of things like content and pacing of programs on kids themselves,' John Mootz, a representative from Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, told Yahoo Entertainment, 'and when I say awareness, I mean awareness by parents, that not all content is created equal.' While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends about an hour of screen time per day for kids ages 2 to 5, their focus is really on 'quality' over 'quantity.' Hirsh, who also wrote Animation Nation: How We Built a Cartoon Empire, attributes qualities like a show's color scheme and choice of music and sound in addition to pacing that characterize a show as gentle or low-stimulation. 'For example, Little Bear has music that's original but inspired by Schubert, so it's a very calming, classic music sort of sound,' he said. 'The storytelling unfolds at a slower pace so that it's easier for the child to get involved, relate to it and feel comfortable with it, rather than just being pushed along on a great roller-coaster ride.' Eriquezzo, along with other parents on social media, recommended Little Bear, a program that originally ran from 1995 to 2003, as a go-to show for her kids. Adapted by Hirsh from the books by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak, the series is about a young bear cub and his forest friends. Focusing on qualities like 'friendships and family themes' and avoiding overly complicated problem-solving, the shows offer a calmer option for kids, those parents say. 'A kid can only attend to so many things, there's a lot of cognitive load that happens when a scene switches, or there's a lot happening or it's a really convoluted storyline,' Mootz explained. 'The general recommendations are removing as much of that as possible so that the kid can attend to what the main messages are, what the main storylines are and what the main lessons are is really key when identifying these more age-appropriate, slower-paced, what you call gentle programming.' For Lauren Tuck, Yahoo's lifestyle editor and a Los Angeles mom of two, tuning in to gentle TV happened by accident, after her father set up her new TV to automatically go to PBS. 'So then my [3-year-old] daughter became obsessed with PBS, and she has typically been someone who's really into very inappropriate TV shows for her age,' Tuck said, referring to programs that are 'annoying and overstimulating.' 'She'll watch Sesame Street when it's on, which is great,' said Tuck, who also has a 15-month-old son. 'She also has been watching a show called Super Why! which is from the early 2000s and it's teaching kids how to read. And she's literally learning how to read.' In addition to Super Why! Tuck's daughter also watches Little Bear, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Pinkalicious, the last of which asks questions like ''How have you helped your mom today?' And then she'll weirdly help me all day,' Tuck said. 'What it comes down to for us is that we're really focused on what makes content age-appropriate, developmentally appropriate for kids and really is going to help them learn the best,' Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of PBS Kids, told Yahoo Entertainment. 'For young preschoolers, the pacing is absolutely part of that. It's really about how are kids able to take in information and pay attention to a story, and how do we guide them through it in a way that's really going to have the impact that we want it to have.' In addition to the old-school programs, parents across social media have also recommended modern shows including Bluey (Disney+), Puffin Rock (Prime Video), Tumble Leaf (Prime Video) and Pocoyo (Prime Video). That said, when it comes to shows like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (2015-2021) and Clifford the Big Red Dog, nostalgia also plays a role in parents choosing these programs for their kids. 'I grew up watching Clifford,' Eriquezzo said, which originally aired a season in 1988 and from 2000 to 2003. 'So that one is also really, really cute to see as an adult.' Whether old-school or brand-new, these shows are arguably more soothing for kids than ones that feature quick scene cuts, bold colors, louder sounds and bigger emotions. 'You hear a lot about like bright colors and lots of noises as being something that really draws kids in. And that may be the case for older kids, and that's certainly what we saw [in our research],' said DeWitt, who also oversees other recommended and similarly low-stimulation shows like Elinor Wonders Why and Carl the Collector. 'For younger kids, that was overwhelming.' She also said that 'when you think about what's going to really land with kids, what they're really going to be able to comprehend, sometimes slower is the way that it's going to really get through.' DeWitt added: 'We hear from parents that some of our shows can kind of help their kids calm down.' For Eriquezzo, choosing so-called gentle TV (and dialing back screen time to once a week) has made a noticeable difference in her home. 'I will say that just the tone of the whole house is better when we watch something that's more slow-paced,' she said. While more parents are highlighting gentle TV shows, Hirsh admits that families will always want a mix of programming. 'There are moments when kids want something that's more engaging. And sometimes there's something that, like Magic School Bus, that's more educational. So the shows can have different functions,' he said. 'The kids want their sugar and their candy too. So there's always going to be a demand for something that's just pure fun, right?'
