|
|
In the wild, the North American Black Bear sleeps through the winter after laying in fat by heavy autumn feeding. They do not feed during the winter, although they may leave their den, a hollow tree or similar shelter, for brief excursions during mild spells. On the contrary, here at Marineland, our bears are fed regularly during the winter and do not hibernate. By doing this, we feel they are in much better health when spring arrives.
North American Black Bears can run as fast as 40 km/h (25 mph) when chasing their prey and are skillful tree-climbers, powerful, quick to react. They are harmless to people except when provoked, cornered or injured - or through sheer friendliness. These bears can sometimes become troublesome around camps and cabins if food is left within their reach.
Bears also appear to be intelligent. Whether they are more intelligent than their near relatives, the cats and dogs, has never been adequately tested. At least, we know that the cubs stay with the mother for six months, often longer, and some may stay with her until her next cubs are born. A long period of parental care allows for learning by example and a longer period for experience with security.
When startled, the adult bear gives a "woof". The cubs, when distressed, utter shrill howls. Otherwise, bears tend to be silent.
|
Black bears are among the most common species and can be found in great numbers throughout Canada and the United States, Up to 1.5 m (5 feet) long with a 11.4 cm (4-1/2 inch) tail and weighing 90.7 to 226.8 kg (200 to 500 lbs), it has shorter fur, shorter claws and shorter hind feet than the brown bears of North America.
Although they are called black bears, not all of them are completely black. Some have black coats with brown noses and white patches on the chest. Others, called cinnamon bears, which you will also find at Marineland, have a rusty brown coat. They are also a steel-blue shade and one type is even white. Some black bears have been known to change colour, changing from black to brown and vice versa. No matter what colour the coat of the black bear is, its snout is always tan and it is this characteristic that helps distinguish black bears from grizzlies.
If you were to examine the feet of the black bear, you would be surprised at how closely they resemble the hands and feet of humans. The black bear's front feet are round and shaped like a human hand and the back feet are long in shape, just like a human foot. If you were tracking a bear, the tracks of the bear's hind feet would be similar to those of a barefoot person because bears, like humans, walk on the soles of their feet. Without the skin and claws, the bones look even more like human hands and feet.
|
Bears with black coats are normally found in the eastern United States. Black bears with brown coats are found in the western United States. The blue black bear can be found in a small area of south eastern Alaska and in the Yukon Territory. This type of bear is referred to as the "glacier bear". The white black bear is very rare and can be found only on a few islands off British Columbia. These bears are actually light tan but against the green of the forest, the fur appears white. They also have light brown eyes in comparison to the black eyes of other black bears.
|
Black Bears are omnivorous animals, meaning they are meat, insect, vegetable, berry and fruit eaters. At Marineland, their diet consists of fruit, vegetables, fish and fresh grass.
|
The mating season for the North American Black Bear is late June and early July and after a gestation period of 7 months, 1 to 4 cubs are born weighing between .25 and .34 kg (9-12 oz) and measuring approximately 20 cm (8 inches) long. They stay with the mother for at least six months, and she mates only every other year. At birth the cubs are naked except for sparse dark hair, they are also blind and toothless. For the first two months of life, cubs will take turns nursing while mother still remains in a slumber.
|
|
Did you know that the toy "Teddy Bear", which is a favorite with every child, originated early in the 1900s while Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States? President Roosevelt was well known for his love of the outdoors and while on a hunting trip, he captured and adopted a black bear cub as a pet. With the President's permission, a New York doll manufacturer used this bear as a model for the first "Teddy Bear".
|
|
|
|
