Watchable Wildlife

The Black Bear

Story and Photo by Jeffrey Rich

The black bear (Ursus americanus) is the smallest and most numerous of North America's bears. Not all black bears are black. They also come in shades of brown, from blonde to dark chocolate, and, strangely enough, there are even white black bears. A brown-colored black bear can be distinguished from its cousin the grizzly by back, face, and size. A grizzly has a large hump on its back, a dish-shaped face, and is much larger. The black bear has a longer snout and no hump. The third species of bear in North America is the polar bear of the arctic, which is all white and also larger than the black bear.

Diet and Range

Black bears range across North America living in many different habitats, preferring forested areas with plenty of food. They dine mostly on vegetation, such as new growth of spring plants, fruits, berries, and nuts. They also go after insects and fish when available. Like most critters, black bears take advantage of an easy food source. Crops, garbage, and other human-related items fit the bill. Like humans, black bears are considered omnivores.

Parental Instincts

Bears usually mate in summer. After the female's egg is fertilized, it doesn't implant and start growing until November. This delayed implantation occurs in other species in the animal world as well. After a 6-week gestation period, during January and February, the young cubs are born. At birth they weigh less than a pound, are sightless, and are covered in fuzzy hair. One to four (usually two) cubs are born in the den during the winter. They stay in the den nursing on mom's rich milk, growing and sleeping until spring. When the weather warms enough, the mother awakens and leaves the den with her offspring. The young family stays together for more than a year. When they return to the den late the next fall, the cubs weigh about 50 pounds, depending on how much food they found. When the family emerges the following spring, the sow allows the cubs to stay with her until May or June, when it is mating time again. Then it's time for them to go. At a year-and-a-half old, they are sent out on their own.

Bear safety

Living or camping in bear country requires taking certain precautions. If you leave food or garbage out, it may attract bears. Pet food and even barbecue grill odors may bring in bears. They are curious and clever animals that can cause considerable damage in their search for food. I've seen car doors bent open like they were toys, garbage strewn everywhere, and campsites totally ripped apart. So be bear smart and make sure your home or camp has no food available to bears. When in the woods where bears live, keep food in bear-safe containers and away from your campsite or hoisted from a tree at least 10 feet off the ground. While hiking, make noise so you don't surprise a bear. Black bear attacks on humans are rare and are usually caused by startling the bear or getting too close to a sow with cubs. Usually they run away from humans.

hibernation

Winter sleep is not always called hibernation. Some scientists use the term dormancy. Whatever you call it, the amazing part is how their metabolic rate slows way down. Their heart rate decreases, and they don't need to eat, drink, or eliminate during this time. Incredibly, they can awaken easily within a few minutes. In areas where the temperature is not too cold during winter, the bears won't den for as long as their northern counterparts.

Northwest Travel Magazine September/October 2007

Jeffrey Rich is a photonaturalist whose pictures capture intimate moments of wildlife. He leads photo tours throughout the United States and currently teaches science at Stellar Charter School. www.jeffrichphoto.com