The adventure begins

It was a bittersweet day at Point of View Farm last Thursday, especially for wildlife rehabilitator Joel Rosenthal, right, because it was the day nine-year-old black bear Rose took her cubs – Brier and Thorn – into the woods and on to their next adventure. After Rose checked out the area and determined it to be safe, she went into their enclosure and coaxed Brier and Thorn out to explore.

While the family froliced in the woods, Koda, another black bear raised by Rosenthal, returned for a visit and kept Rose on high alert. At one point, Rose sent the cubs up a tree so she could advise Koda to stay away. After several starts and stops, the three bears finally took off to look for their summer home. Rose and the cubs, above, pose for a photo and say goodbye to Rosenthal who kept them safe this winter. S. Stewart photo

In other “bearable” news, Tracey Offer, of Ballard, was the winner in last month’s caption contest.