In North America, there are three kinds of bears: The Black, Grizzly and Polar Bear. The smallest of these is also the most common. The Black Bear prefers to live in areas where there is mixed forest vegetation with openings.
A tiny fully-furred eight inch bear cub (about a half pound in weight) is born in a den or cave in late January or early February. The 150 lb female dens alone. Cubs emerge from the den at about 3 months of age and begin to follow their mother for short distances. They learn everything they know (from what to eat and how to find it to what to be afraid of) by observing her behavior and responding to her commands. She is very protective of her cubs and will risk her life to defend them from predators and male bears (as males will kill them, given a chance). This is why it is dangerous for humans to get between a female bear and her cubs.
Sows will den with their cubs their first winter but will send them on their way at about 18 months of age before the next fall. At this age, they have learned what they need to know to survive.
The female will find a mate and breed soon after her cubs have left her, (usually about July) to get ready for another litter next winter. Sows normally breed every other year if sufficient food, shelter and space are available.
A young female will have her first litter at about 3 to 4 years of age. The average litter of cubs for an adult black bear is usually 2 or sometimes 3 cubs. Rarely, 4 cubs are born to females in areas that have a low bear population but lots of food available.
Black Bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal material. A quick look at their teeth will confirm this. They have flat grinding teeth or molars at the back of their mouth which are used to chew grasses etc., and huge canine teeth for ripping chunks of meat.
Their diet varies seasonally and locally. Early in the spring, they clean up dead carcasses left over from the cold winter and will take newly emerging grasses. In the summer they eat insects, grasses and small rodents. In the fall they eat berries, seeds, fish, and dead animals they find. And yes, if they find a hive, they will eat honey, bees and all!
This varied diet allows them to put on weight for the coming hibernation, which may last four to seven months, depending on the length and severity of the winter. Bears do not go into a deep hibernation sleep like ground squirrels and their body temperature remains almost normal. They can be roused from their sleep by loud noises and bright lights. When disturbed, they can be extremely agitated.
A male bear is called a boar and they grow larger than the females. A mature boar at six years of age may weigh 200 to 350 lbs. However, live-trapped specimens weighing in at 850 lbs. or more have been measured in Sakatchewan, Manitoba and Pennsylvania. The average lifespan of a black bear in the wild is 20 years.
Black Bears are solitary animals except during the breeding season. This is because of the huge amount food and area it takes to feed each bear. Each bear has an area called a territory that it defends from others, particularly when it has young to feed. Male territories are larger than females, often as large as several hundred square miles, and they may range 50 miles or more in a day looking for food. Several female territories may be inside and overlapping a male's territory.
Bears mark their territory by standing up to a tall tree and using their claws to scratch a mark as high as they can reach. If another male bear comes along that can scratch higher, the smaller current territory holder will avoid confrontation and may move from the area entirely.
The best defense for humans is to prevent a confrontation with a bear by making noise (talking, singing or wearing a bear bell on your pack) while hiking in bear territory. If they hear or smell a human at a distance, they will usually run. If surprised, cornered or separated from their cubs, they may charge. Also, if they are accustomed to the smell of sight of humans (such as being fed at garbage dumps or parks), they may have lost the fear of humans and may behave oddly, increasing risk of injury to nearby humans. Bears are unpredictable wild animals who can run upto 30 miles per hour for short distances. This is faster than the world's Olympic running records.
by Donna Hill B.Sc. B.Ed. 1997