The American Black Bear: Is it a Public Nuisance or Jewel of Nature?

Have you ever seen an American Black bear in your neighborhood? In North America, chances are you have seen the bears by their home, in the wilderness or at the local zoo. The American Black Bear or the "Ursus americanus" are cuddly and cute, but they are known to be totally "anti-social" (U.S. Fish & Wildlife, 2007) and very dangerous to humans. These bears are strong and dangerous, yet they generally avoid the human elements. Also, these bears have a powerful sense of smell, which can lead them to a source of food or to trouble.

Basically, male and female bears are about "4-7ft" long and weighs about "150-300 lbs" (Defenders of Wildlife, 2007) or larger. However, they are the "smallest of the bear species found in North America" (Defenders of Wildlife, 2007). According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife (2007), these bears come in several different shade of brown and black. Many times people confuse theses bears with brown bears, because of their unusual color.

The American Black bear can live to "25 years old" (Defender of Wildlife, 2007) and "reach breeding maturity at age 4-5 years old". Usually a female bear will "give birth" in the "winter" to "1-6 cubs"; however, "2 cubs are most common" (Defenders of Wildlife, 2007). Then, the single mother cares for them in the den, until they are weaned at "6-8 months old" (Defenders of Wildlife, 2007). She can be very protective and dangerous, especially when her young are threatened.

Most bears learn to climb, hunt, and fish as cubs, plus they master climbing a tree for safety. They prefer eating: "salmon", "nuts", "berries", or ""occasionally" they catch a "deer" (U.S. Fish & Wildlife, 2007). Scientist call them "omnivores" (Defenders of Wildlife, 2007), because of their diverse eating preferences. Plus, they gathered extra food to store in the den, before "hibernate every winter" and weight for "spring" (Defenders of Wildlife, 2007) begins.