Wild Life / American black bear
Naturally shy and very smart, the American black bear is making a comeback
Hi, friends — this is issue #2 of my Friday newsletter about animal encounters. Please reply and let me know what you think. It’s fine to unsubscribe if you need, or forward to a friend (or both).
This week is my all-time favorite American black bear (Ursus americanus). I’d love to hear your stories—please reply, or add them to the comments on the website. I’m collecting all the small stories. Thank you! Amy Jean
I’ve only seen “The Bear” once, crossing the road in the early evening in front of a friend’s house. At first, I thought it was a large, furry dog, and I slowed my car down. But it was too large to be a dog. Then I thought it was a giant man hunched over, wearing an enormous fur coat. But that was absurd. Then I realized what it was: “The Bear! Headed down my friend’s driveway! Wow!”
All of the above clicked through my mind in about half a second. The bear disappeared into the shadows and I continued driving, fueled by the adrenalin of the moment. I had finally seen “The Bear,” and I couldn’t wait to tell everyone.
I live in a heavily wooded area in a small Connecticut town that does not have a long history of bear sightings. And so, it is entirely understandable that anyone who sees a black bear refers to it as “The Bear”—as if it is one famous bear making the rounds, rather than simply “a bear.” “I saw The Bear through the trees.” “Did you see The Bear knocked over our garbage cans last night?” “I couldn’t believe it, when I opened my curtains, The Bear was on my porch eating birdseed.” “I saw The Bear run down your driveway!”
These words are usually spoken with awe and excitement, mixed with fear and trepidation. Black bears are a force of nature—a force we’re not accustomed to feeling. In Connecticut, black bears were hunted to oblivion by the mid-nineteenth century, but they are making a comeback and sightings are becoming more common.
The American black bear is incredibly smart. They are omnivorous and opportunistic and will figure out ways to sample tasty human food (hence the garbage cans—keep these locked up, especially from April till November). Black bears are mainly solitary creatures. Males will roam large areas, from around 15 to 60 square miles, while females cover less territory, staying within a 10-mile range. Black bears are not territorial and are willing to share their ranges with other bears.
In autumn, black bears are hungry. Acorns are a staple of their diet, as are wild berries, roots, grasses, insects (bees and yellowjackets beware), fish, small mammals, and they do in fact love honey. Adult males weigh around 300 lbs, while females are smaller, averaging 150 to 200 lbs.
Black bears hibernate in winter, entering dens they’ve fashioned under logs or in tree cavities in November or December. During hibernation, a black bear’s heart rate drops to an average 14 beats a minute (try counting that out—it’s incredibly slow). Their metabolism slows considerably, and they do not eat for months.
They are efficient hibernators, but not the deepest of hibernators. Their body temperature remains about the same, and, if it’s a mild winter, they may wake to forage. Hibernating bears sense the changing light as winter turns to spring. Females give birth in February to two or three cubs, who will stay with her for up to two years. Black bears usually emerge from hibernation in late March (depending on the region and when food becomes available).
Black bears are not only smart, consummate foragers, they are also fast and strong, and good swimmers and climbers—they can scamper up trees like squirrels. Black bears have better eyesight and hearing than we do, and their sense of smell is multitudes more sensitive than a dog’s.
It is entirely possible that black bears know more about us than we know about them. They are clearly figuring out how to live around us. Our best course for living around them is to respect their natural instinct to stay away from us, namely: give them distance; contain food waste, pet food, and birdseed; and never, ever feed them.*
The American black bear is truly an incredible force of nature—forever The Bear in my book.
* * *
* Black bears can be found in dense, forested areas, or maybe in your neighborhood, snooping at night (though they should be hibernating by about now). Black bears are not normally aggressive creatures, and, though dangerous encounters with humans are rare, it’s best to leave them be and appreciate from a distance. Black bears will usually run away from you, but if you encounter one you can reduce stress (for you and the bear) by speaking calmly and backing away slowly.
The North American Bear Center is a good resource for information. I found this particularly helpful: "Black bears are so timid today partly because they evolved alongside such powerful predators as saber-toothed cats, American lions, dire wolves and short-faced bears, all of which became extinct only about 12,000 years ago. Black bears were the only one of these that could climb trees, so black bears survived by staying near trees and developing the attitude: run first and ask questions later."
Black bears are fairly different creatures from brown bears (and are not, in fact, that closely related to them).
We have had some trouble in town with black bears taking people's chickens and goats. It is really important to keep all sources of easy food (garbage, birdseed, pet food, small livestock) secure, particularly in the fall. Here’s a helpful link about bear-proofing around your home (Connecticut-based, but the same applies for all black bear areas). The goal is to keep the bears wild and to live alongside.
Black bear links—
Has everyone seen a bear-scratching-its-back video? Here’s a nice one with a mother and two cubs. She is leaving her scent, like a calling-card for bears and other animals: “I was here.”
This BBC Earth video of a mama and cubs (they purr like helicopters) is remarkable in a thousand ways.
Meanwhile, a Florida bear politely steals a trash can.
Turkey stories—
Thanks to everyone who sent in their wild turkey stories. I’ve posted them in the comments, here. There are city turkeys, wormhole turkeys, and turkey businesspeople (!) Please add your stories, too. I’ll highlight some favorites each week.
Also—
Next week: the mysterious and all-seeing great-horned owl.
My black bear drawing is for sale; please reply if you’re interested.
Please share this with friends who would enjoy—thanks!