Black Bear Fact

Black Bear fact sheets can be found on the Internet or in books and magazines. Black Bears are common in America and it’s important to learn about their behavior, ecology, and threats. Black Bears are very curious and adaptive to a variety of food. They can be noticed raiding garbage cans or hiking places in search for food. Black Bears easily get used to human foods rich in fats and proteins and don’t want to switch back to their vegetarian diet.

It’s a Black Bear fact that this species survived because of its adaptability to any kind of food. While large bears became extinct during the ice age, Black Bears survives, because they were opportunistic feeders. In spring, they feed on carrion, tree bark, and fresh shoots. In summer, Black Bears eat insects, berries, nuts, roots, honey, and fish. In autumn, Black Bears have to accumulate much fat and eat everything eatable. Black Bears are able to kill small mammals and even fawns of deer and elk. In mountainous areas, Black Bears forage on southern slopes in spring and move at higher elevations and to northern slopes in summer.

Hibernation is an interesting Black Bear fact. Actually, bears don’t hibernate, like small mammals do. The body temperature of bears remains almost the same; they just stop eating, drinking, and defecating for several months. During hibernation, bear females give birth and nurse their cubs. The cubs are born blind and very small. They are fully dependent on their mother for 2-3 months. In southern parts of their range (in Asia, for instance,) Black Bears don’t hibernate at all, because they have enough food available the year round.

It’s of crucial importance to distinguish between the Black Bears and their larger and more dangerous relatives - Brown Bears or Grizzlies. Black Bears are mostly diurnal, while Brown Bears are nocturnal. Black Bears prefer heavily forested areas, while Brown Bears tend to inhabit open places. Black and Brown Bears avoid confrontations in areas where both species are found. Usually, Brown Bears prefer remote areas and don’t come close to cities, even when their common food is scarce. When encountered in the wild, both Brown and Black Bears can be dangerous. Prior to hiking in a bear country, learn safety tips and read Brown and Black Bear fact sheets.