What Animals Live in a Lair?
Animals that live in lairs include bears, bobcats, cougars, wolves and tigers. Such habitats are often called dens. Pregnant lionesses also build lairs. After giving birth, the mother and her cubs remain separated from their pride for up to eight months. During this time, the lioness frequently relocates to new lairs, preventing the scent of the cubs from attracting predators.
Bears build lairs in many sheltered locations. Caves, hollow trees and shallow rocky caverns are common choices. A typical bear lair features a sheltered bed of leaves and sticks located as far from the entrance as possible. Certain bears, however, prefer to sleep and hibernate on the bare ground. When a human or other large mammal invades the lair, the bear abandons it and immediately relocates to the nearest viable site.
Wolves, like bears, prefer to establish lairs in naturally sheltered locations. In the absence of caves, hollow trees or abandoned beaver lodges, wolves dig subterranean lairs up to 10 feet deep. Female wolves use the dens for birthing and rearing pups until they are 6 to 8 weeks old. Newborn wolf pups are defenseless because they are blind and deaf. After these senses develop, they venture out of the den for increasing periods of time. At the end of summer, the wolves abandon the birthing dens and move to new locations
