Black Bear

		SIZE

		HEIGHT:	On all four's: 3-4 ft. Standing: 4-7 ft.
		LENGTH:	4-6 ft.
		WEIGHT:	Average male 425 lbs. Average female 200 lbs.

		BREEDING

		MATURITY:	About three years old.
		MATING:	Mating occurs in Late June and Early July.
		GESTATION:	About 7 months.
		# OF YOUNG :	1-5 cubs a year.

		LIFESTYLE

		HABIT:	Solitary, but come together for breeding.
		DIET:	Omnivorous: which means it eats fruits, nuts, vegetables, breads and meat.
		LIFESPAN:	Can live up to 25 years.

		SCIENTIFIC NAME

		FAMILY:	Family: "Ursidae". Classified as: "Ursus americanus"

		GENERAL INFORMATION

		At Bear Country we have over 100 black bear, the world's largest privately owned collection. In the wild, black bears live primarily in eastern forests, swamps, and western forests and wooded mountains. You rarely spot them higher than 7,000 feet. To date, the total black bear population in North America is close to pre-settlement numbers - about 1 million. In the US alone there are more than an estimated 600,000 black bear. Stable populations of black bears are found in 38 states and most of Canada. Their range is extensive: Most of Canada, south on the West Coast through northern California, in Rocky Mountain states to Mexico, north MN, WI, and MI; in New England, NY and PA through the Appalachians; in the Southeast, most of Florida and southern Louisiana. They have recently been seen in Texas as well. The black bear is omnivorous which means it eats vegetables, fruit, breads and meat. We also have a special "bear cake" produced at a local mill that provides them with all the necessary vitamins and nutrients. During autumn, they eat more than usual to gain body fat to sustain them through their winter "hibernation". Bears do not hibernate, but rather fall into a deep sleep from which they can awaken quickly. When food is abundant, they will eat up to 45 lbs. a day and put on 5 lbs. per day in preparation for winter. During "hibernation", the bear may only eat once a week, or if it is very cold he will not eat for a month. While "hibernating", the black bear does not urinate or defecate. Bear Country participates with researchers at the University of Illinois in a project to study how the bear recycles toxins during "hibernation" with the hope of helping people with kidney disease and osteoporosis. Breeding season is in late June to early July. The fertilized egg matures to the blastocyst stage and goes dormant. Blastocyst will not implant in the uterus until late November. In early December, embryo development proceeds normally (delayed implantation: a process shared with badgers, mink, weasels, otters, and wolverines). Birth occurs in late January. Gestation is approximately 7 months. The delay in gestation is approximately 5 months and true gestation is approximately 8 weeks. A black bear usually has between 1 to 5 cubs. The cubs are born during the "hibernation period" in late January. When they are born, they weigh about nine ounces and are the size of a stick of butter. From then on, they grow very quickly. In March, when they weigh three to five pounds, we harvest the cubs from their dens. By May they can be 12 to 20 pounds. While they are on display in our Wildlife Center, their weight will increase to about 75 pounds by the end of the summer. An adult male can weigh as much as 650 pounds, but usually is about 450 to 500 pounds at full weight. The female will reach a maximum weight of almost 400 pounds. The black bear's name is deceptive. It is a species name and does not refer to their color. They can range from pure black to cinnamon to blonde. Black bears in the East are nearly black, while those in the West are black to cinnamon with a white blaze on their chest. The black bears in Alaska can have a blue or white color phase to blend with their snowy surroundings. You will notice many black bears in trees. Unlike the grizzly, who does not have claws that are well-adapted for climbing, the black bear is a very proficient climber. The black bear's curved claws allow them to easily and quickly climb high into trees and will often sleep in the crotch of branches. Grizzly bears, on the other hand, climb by hugging the tree and grasping branches with their mouth to pull themselves upward. Their claws are straighter, longer and adapted for digging. Black bears are similar to hogs and are even named the same--males are boars and females are sows, but babies are called cubs. They can live to be about 25 years old. Black bears breed in June and early July, but the cubs are not born until January. Researchers have found that the gestation period is not as long as it appears. There is a delayed implantation of the fertilized egg in the female bear in December and the gestation period is only eight weeks. This would explain the extremely small size of the newborn cub. Research is this area continues in the wild by government and conservation agencies. You will notice that some younger black bears have coats that are shedding. They do not reach their full size, coat appearance or breeding age until they are about three years old. They seem to go through a sort of "puberty" stage between their first and third years. Bear Country does sometimes take in orphaned bear cubs. We have a very famous cub named Coconino. Some hikers found her in 1990 at Big Bear in California. Her eyes were still closed and her umbilical cord attached, an obvious newborn. The hikers took her to a local vet who called Bear Country for advice on feeding the orphan. They named her Coconino, which means "little brown one" in Spanish. She is called Coco for short. The Department of Fish and Game in California found out the vet and his wife had this bear and was going to confiscate her, sending her to a rehabilitation center and turn her back into the wild. The vet and some concerned citizens knew that the cub could never survive in the wild after being hand-raised. They went to the intended rehab center and found that it was visitor facilities that allowed too much contact with humans and did not properly train the animals so survive in the wild. Soon all of Big Bear was on the campaign to find Coco a suitable home. She was featured on the news magazine show "Hard Copy." Finally, by ruling of the court Coco was given to Bear Country, where she arrived under the media's watchful eye. Here she is able to live a captive life in a natural environment. She quickly acclimated to the other cubs and seemed to enjoy their company. Some of Coco's "friends" from Big Bear have come to visit her and they agree that she is in the best possible situation. Bear Country received several letters from her "friends" thanking us for allowing Coco to live here.

""June of 07 was my time in Bear Country and from now on it will always be on the vacation list of sites to visit. A big Thank You goes out to the Casey family for such a fine park for the animals and vistors to experience. Next Year the granddaughter will find out about Bear Country and enjoy the beauty of the area, the BEARS and all the animals. papa will be there watching and enjoying also. Thank you ""DOC"", may BEAR COUNTRY be there forever and a day so all can enjoy. thank you Robert and Margo""

Robert Johnston
Kansas City, Missouri