Black Bear

Black bears are omnivores which means that they eat a variety of foods including fruits, grasses, meat, berries, nuts, carrion, and insects. They also tend to utilize crops if they are available. Since human settlements are located close to many parts of their range, and their habitat is being used more and more for recreational purposes, the American black bear has adapted to include a variety of human-related foods in their diet such as refuse, birdseed, agricultural products, and honey from apiaries.

At the Zoo, black bears receive a specialized ground carnivore diet, a prepared omnivore chow, and produce. One of the favorite forms of food enrichment are mealworms.

Bears can be found all over North America, from the northern regions of Mexico to the Yukon and Northwest Territory in Canada. They have a wide range of movement and travel long distances to find food. In fact, it has been documented that they can travel up to 125 miles from their denning site!

Black bears primarily inhabit a wide range of forest environments. They possess the ability to adapt their diet to surrounding circumstances, which allows them to live in a diverse range of habitats.

The American black bear has faced numerous threats throughout history, including persecution, hunting, and habitat destruction. Human-bear conflict remains the primary threat to this species, as urban development and roads continue to take over its habitat. Despite legal hunting, most American black bear populations are either stable or increasing, thanks to their adaptability and tolerance of humans. However, smaller and isolated populations are at risk of being destroyed completely, and the loss of habitat could have a detrimental effect on currently stable populations in the long run.

The name "black" bear can be misleading, as this species has a more diverse range of fur colors than any other North American mammal. While most populations in the eastern range of American black bears have black fur, in the western range, many populations have lighter cinnamon or yellow-brown coats. Some populations found along the Pacific coast have grey-blue fur, while in British Columbia, Canada, around 10% of the population has an entirely white coat! The variability in coat coloration may be related to habitat and weather, although the color can vary between individuals in the same litter. Additionally, black bears have an exceptional sense of smell, which is seven times greater than that of a bloodhound.

Black bears typically breed during mid-summer. However, they have a unique reproductive process called "delayed implantation," which means the fertilized eggs undergo delayed development and do not implant in the female's womb until November. This allows the female bear to eat as much as she can before winter and ensures the best chance of survival for her family.

After about 10 weeks, a litter of generally two to three cubs is born. The family will leave the den when the cubs are approximately three months old. For the first year and a half of their lives, the young cubs remain with the mother, who is the sole caregiver. The cubs grow rapidly during their first year of life. At birth, the sightless cubs weigh about eight ounces. By six weeks of age, they weigh between three and four pounds. Typically, cubs weigh between 25 and 65 pounds by September, and by the time they enter the overwinter den with the mother in early November, they may weigh nearly 70-80 pounds.

Black bears use a variety of ways to communicate, such as sounds, body language, and scent-marking. Their vocalized calls are deep and clear and can be quite loud. They make different sounds for different situations, such as grunts, huffing, screams, grumbling, tongue and jaw clicks, and blowing. Some of these sounds may even sound like a human voice, especially in high-stress situations. When they feel nervous or threatened, bears may show aggressive behavior by pouncing towards the threat, slapping the ground or surrounding objects and blowing. They may also bluff-charge towards the threat to scare it off.

Black bears are generally active early in the morning and late in the evening (crepuscular). However, the timing of their movements may be influenced by human activities. For instance, if they live in high human activity areas, they tend to be more active at night (nocturnal), while bears in low human activity areas are primarily active during dawn and dusk.

During colder months when food is scarce, black bears go into a state of deeper sleep called "torpor". Although they do not truly hibernate, their heart rate, breathing rate, and metabolism slow down. This natural behavior helps them conserve energy and survive in harsh conditions.