THE BEAR FACTS
What color are black bears here?
Black bears can be any color from black, brown, cinnamon to blond. 85% of our area bears are some shade of brown.
What are the marks on this tree from?
A black bear climbed that aspen tree!
Claw Marks
One of the first things a cub learns from its Mom is how to climb trees. Cubs learn to climb for safety and bears will climb aspen trees in the spring to reach catkins, a popular early food source. Black bears spend a lot of time in trees and climb trees to rest and sleep and when they feel threatened, so claw marks from bears climbing trees are common.
What do bears do here in the winter?
They hibernate.
Black bears go into a deep sleep during the winter months. This is an adaptation to their surroundings that allows them to survive when the foods they eat have gone away.
What are baby black bears called?
Cubs
Newborn cubs are barely the size of squirrels, weighing only about 1/2 pound. They are born blind, toothless and covered with very fine hair. The cubs do not hibernate, and instead feed on milk from their mothers that contains 33 percent fat! (Milk from a dairy cow is 25 fat).
True or False?
Bird feeders should only be put out in the winter when bears are hibernating.
TRUE
Bird feeders get bears in trouble! Bird feeders should be removed from April 1 thru November. It’s very hard feeding birds without feeding bears. Planting native wildflowers, putting out hanging flower baskets, and bird baths work great in attracting birds, including hummingbirds, not bears.
90% of a black bear's diet consists of plants, but they do eat some meat so they are considered this type of eater?
A. Carnivores
B. Herbivores
C. Omnivores
D. Cheeseburgerivores
C. Omnivores
In the spring and summer bears will forage 2-4 hours per day consuming around 2,000 calories.
In late Summer and Fall they enter a feeding frenzy phase (known as Hyperphagia) and can feed up to 20 hours per day, consuming around 20,000 calories!
How many toes show up on a black bear track?
5
Tracks
Black bear tracks are distinctive with the hind footprint resembling a person’s. Bears have five toes on each paw. Tracks do not always indicate the size of a bear and claw marks are not always visible, although commonly seen in prints in the mud and sand.
During hibernation bears only do this two to four times per minute?
What is breathe?
How many cubs are born at a time?
2-3 cubs is most common
Why is more than one cub an advantage? Bear cubs have a high mortality rate. Only about 50% of cubs survive their first year.
What is the biggest reason why we have human-bear conflict in our area?
A. Too many bears
B. Not enough natural food
C. Grumpy bears
D. Unsecured garbage and other food attractants
D. Unsecured garbage and other food attractants
Easy, high-calorie meals like those found in unsecured trash cans, bird feeders, livestock grain, pet food and fruit trees make irresistible attractants to bears and lure them into close proximity to people and their homes. This problem is 100% fixable though, when people take the proper precautions.
This sense in bears is thought to be the keenest in all of the animal kingdom.
A. Sense of hearing
B. Sense of smell
C. Sense of sight
D. Sense of humor
B. Sense of smell
Many of a bears senses are more developed than humans. They can hear about twice as well as us and they have much better night vision than us. They also see in color! But their sense of smell is incredible, far superior to ours. Bears can smell 7 better than the best dog!
True or False?
Bear scat is easily distinguishable from other animals and reveals what the bear has been eating.
TRUE
Scat
Black bear scat is easily distinguishable and shows the bears diet. In the spring, scat consists mainly of vegetation, mostly grasses. In the fall, it may be a mash consisting of mostly acorns or berries, which are swallowed whole. Seeds pass through the digestive tract unbroken and able to germinate, making black bears important seed dispersers.
What do bears use for dens?
Bears are very adaptable in denning habits and will use a variety of available dens. They will hibernate in excavated dens, under trees, in rock caves or in hollowed-out trees and often will rake leaves, twigs and other plant material into dens as bedding.
What month are cubs typically born in Colorado?
Late January is most common
Black bears reproduce slowly. Males are capable of breeding when they are three years old, whereas females do not start producing cubs typically until they are five years old and only give birth every other year. Mating occurs in June, but the baby won't start growing in Mom's belly until late November--and will only grow if she has gotten enough good nutrition!
What should you do while hiking and camping in bear country?
A. Never feed or approach bears
B. Keep dogs on a leash
C. Carry bear spray and have it available
D. Hike in groups of three or more
E. Keep a clean camp and properly store food
F. All of the above
F. All of the above
Take some simple measures to be safe recreating in bear country.
Which of these words is a good description of bear behavior?
A. Cuddly
B. Grumpy
C. Scaredy-Cat
D. Adaptable
D. Adaptable
Black bears can live in a variety of habitats and consume a wide variety of available foods, making them quite adaptable to existing near people and homes if need be.
True or False?
Overturned rocks and torn up logs could be a sign that a bear was there.
TRUE
Black bears overturn rocks and rip into logs with their claws in search of ants, grubs, insects and larvae.
True or False?
Black bears do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate during hibernation.
TRUE
Incredibly, bears do not eat, drink, urinate or defecate for the five to six months spent hibernating. Hibernating bears have the ability to reuse protein byproducts and live off of stored fat reserves and they avoid bone loss by recycling calcium back into their bones.
How long do black bear cubs stay with their Mom?
A. 3 months
B. 1 1/2 years
C. 5 years
D. Forever
B. 1.5 years
Cubs stay with their mother their first year and a half (they re-enter dens with their mother and siblings in the fall of their first year) and learn how to protect themselves, locate food and climb trees. Much of what an adult bear knows it has learned from its mother in this formative time. By their second spring they will be self-reliant and will separate from their mother in late Spring.
Which of these are good deterrents in keeping bears from yards or human food attractants (beehives, chickens, livestock, fruit trees, etc.)? Select all that apply.
A. Electric fencing or electric mats
B. A guard goose
C. A wood fence
D. Scare devices and alarms
E. Locking all vehicle and house windows and doors
A. Electric fencing or electric mats
D. Scare devices and alarms
E. Locking all vehicle and house windows and doors
WHO has the most power to prevent and reduce human-bear conflict in the greater Durango area?
Me...and you!!
Many times, unwanted bear behavior that people have created, allowed and cultivated results in bears getting into trouble with people. We can help reduce bear mortality and improve the safety of people by minimizing the availability of human food attractants! Let's all keep bears wild - and people safe by being Bear Smart!