“LoveBug,” A.K.A. Reina

LoveBug earned her nickname when she was only about two to three weeks old, just a week after she had learned to crawl.

Every day, after Ginger finished nursing her cubs, Reina and her siblings would spend time playing together. But Reina had something else in mind. There was a small gap in the gate that she was just able to squeeze through, allowing her to crawl over to me. Once she reached me, she would settle down and fall asleep right on top of my feet. She was the only cub who ever did this, and it quickly became our own special little routine. That was how she became my LoveBug.

When it was time for me to leave and head home for the day, I would gently pick her up and carry her back to the den, placing her near her mother.

That was when I would see a completely different side of Ginger. The look on her face could be frightening, but not because she wanted to hurt me. It was the look of a mother who had been frightened deep inside, worried about where her precious little cub had gone. Her expression seemed to say everything her instincts were telling her: Where have you taken my baby? Is she safe?

Ginger's reaction was a powerful reminder of just how deeply a mother loves and protects her young. Even though LoveBug was only gone for a little while, Ginger's concern was unmistakable.

And so, from those earliest days of her life, LoveBug showed that she had a special affection for me, while Ginger showed me the incredible depth of a mother's love.