American Black Bear

The American Black Bear is one of the largest representatives of the Ursidae family. There are eight species of Bear commonly found throughout the northern, and some in the southern hemisphere. There are a few common physical traits that make Bear species similar: heavy-boned legs, paws featuring five non-retractile claws, elongated muzzles, profuse hair and so on. Bears are carnivorous animals, except the Giant Panda that feeds mostly on bamboo leaves.

The American Black Bear is the most common ursidae in North America. Bears are very adaptive in the wild. Despite the seeming clumsiness, they are agile climbers and skillful hunters. They can run pretty fast and they have a good sense of smell. They have a few unique adaptations that help them survive harsh climates. They fall into a dormant state during winter and stay in it throughout winter and until spring. The body temperature does not drop dramatically, like in other hibernators, and females usually give birth to the cubs during the period of dormancy. During this time, Bears do not usually wake up to feed and stay in their dens until the end of the period.

Bears have been hunted all the time, but their numbers declined dramatically in the 20th century. Bears usually dwell in overgrown areas and dense woods. Therefore, deforestation is a sheer disaster for Bear population. Bears are valued for their fur, meat and bile. Bear parts are also widely used in traditional Asiatic medicines, so many species are killed illegally. The American Black Bear population has also declined significantly.

Bears living in northern areas, including American Black Bears, which can be found in the west of Canada, reproduce seasonally, while species inhabiting tropical woods mate year round. Litters average 2-3 cubs, and they are born hairless, toothless and blind. The young feed on the mother’s milk until they develop some hunting skills and their teeth become strong enough to cope with meat. The cubs stay around the mother for about 3 years, and reach sexual maturity by age of 6-7 years.

Nowadays, human civilization has come dangerously close to wildlife, which has resulted in a universal conflict between large wild animals and humans. Over the last several decades, the number of accidents between humans and Bears has increased dramatically. This happens because there is less and less room for the Bear to retreat, so the more coaxed he is, the higher the level of aggression. The American Black Bear, as well as other Bear species, are very territorial, and females are very protective around their young.