Understanding Black Bears Steve Hall Adirondack Wildlife Refuge
Understanding Black Bears Steve Hall Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center www. adirondackwildlife. org 977 Springfield Rd. , Wilmington, NY
Understanding Black Bears What We Do at ADK Wildlife Which Bears Live Where? A Uniquely American Bear Black Bears Through the Seasons Denning & Hibernation Causes of Mortality Protecting Bears Camping & Living with Bears around The Truth about Bear Attacks Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center www. adirondackwildlife. org
What we do at ADK Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center: Rehab Injured Wildlife Need Licenses from US Fish & Wildlife & NY DEC! Work with veterinarians & volunteers 3 possible outcomes: Animal recovers & is released - 70% Animal dies - 15% Animal recovers, can’t be released – 15% Want to help? Be Prepared Throw a blanket & box in the car Never touch raccoon, fox or bat www. adirondackwildlife. org
What we do at ADK Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center: Education with Non-Releasable Wildlife Need License from US Fish & Wildlife www. adirondackwildlife. org
Friends & Volunteers www. adirondackwildlife. org
Adirondack Habitat Awareness Day Featuring Wolves, Coywolves, Fox, Bobcat, Eagles, Owls, Hawks & Falcons – Learn about Critical Habitat Issues Dr. Curt Stager: Flora, Fauna & Climate Change - Dr. Nina Schoch: Loons as Indicator Species - Dave Gibson of Adirondack Wild : State of the Park – Laurie Lafond of IBA: Critical Grasslands Habitat - Dr. Dan Hall: Canine Cardiac Health - DEC: Soil & Water Conservation – Andy Joachim & Steve Hall: Wolves, Bear & “Bruce the Moose” – Dr. Jon Way: Coywolves - David Fadden: Mohawk Story Teller - Wildlife Rehab, Bird Banding & Release Ausable River Assoc. – Refreshments by Green Goddess - No Admission Charge: Any Donations go to Adirondack Wildlife, Inc. , 501 c non-profit. Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center 977 Springfield Road, Fishing Access, Wilmington, NY 12997 Sunday, Sept. 1 st: 10 AM-5 PM 866 -235 -9655 www. adirondackwildlife. org 855 -Wolf. Man
Black Bear Range 500, 000 in North America 7, 000 in New York State 4, 000 in the Adirondacks Pennsylvania # 1 state in lower 48 for black bear Habitat Oak uplands, maple swamps & wet thickets Younger pregnancies, larger litters & larger bears! Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Cordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Species: Ursus Americanus http: //www. dec. ny. gov/animals /7215. html www. adirondackwildlife. org
Grizzly Bear 60, 000 in North America Evolved in Asia, crossed the Bering Land Bridge 100, 000 years ago Anatomy: basically a Carnivore Behaviour: basically an omnivore Grizzly vs. Brown Bear www. adirondackwildlife. org Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Cordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Species: Ursus Arctos
Alaskan Brown www. adirondackwildlife. org
Polar Bear 20 to 25, 000 worldwide Strict Carnivore 750 – 1, 500 lbs. Evolutionary split from Grizzlies in Asia after glacial isolation about 130 k yrs Grizzly-Polar hybrids Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Cordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Species: Ursus Maritimus www. adirondackwildlife. org
Black Bear Basic Facts • • • • Males 150 to 550 lbs, avg. 300 Females 90 to 300 lbs, avg. 170 Avg. life span about 15 years in the wild. Best sense of smell, many sound expressions. Anatomically basically a carnivore Behaviourly mainly an omnivore Walks pigeon-toed, runs up to 30 mph Powerful shoulders & arms Curved Claws for climbing Dexterous paws for manipulating Marks by clawing, biting, & body-rubbing trees, peeing & stiff-legged paw tracks. Expanding from Adirondack, Catskill & Alleghany ranges Brown Color Phases out west www. adirondackwildlife. org Ted, heavyweight at the Int’l Bear Center in Ely, Minn.
Black Bears Had A Scary & Difficult History Pleistocene Freezer Ancestors Crossed Bering Land Bridge about 500, 000 years ago Seasonal Availability of Food Short-Faced Bear Bergman’s Rule Artodus simus www. adirondackwildlife. org
Black Bear or Grizzly? Cinnamon black bear, Dan Hall, Ontario 1990 Adirondack Black Bear –rear pad Bears come in different color phases www. adirondackwildlife. org Denali grizzly – front pad
Black Bear through the Seasons www. adirondackwildlife. org
Spring – Wake Up! Biochemical narcosis Adults continue to burn fat & lose weight Cubs nurse & continue to gain weight Mom teaches foraging Where, what & when Food sources Squirrels’ nut caches Early Spring vegetation: Denali, May 2012, by Kim Fedkiw grasses skunk cabbage & fiddleheads Roots, corms. Early fruits & leaves catkins High protein, low cellulose Carrion Predation of fawns and moose calves June: Ants, ant pupae, bees, yellow jackets www. adirondackwildlife. org
Summer – Dinner & Romance Mating in late June or early July Sow Promiscuity during a lengthy Estrus Ten to 30 minute copulation Delayed implantation Fat sow becomes pregnant when she dens & blastocyst attaches to uterine wall Blastocysts in anorexic sows dissolve “Soft Mast” - Berry crops July: pin cherries, sarsaparilla berries, and blueberries August: red raspberries , choke cherries, dogwood fruits and blackberries Drought means berry crop failure, & more bears in the campground www. adirondackwildlife. org
Territories Dispersal Territory Sizes Depend…. …on Gender …Time of Year … and Food Availability More fluid than Wolf Pack territories …and more tolerant! Mother Territories and Daughter Territories www. adirondackwildlife. org
Autumn – Time to Get fat! What is Hyperphagia? Going from eating 5 to 8 kilocalories per day, to 15 to 20. Feed up to 20 hours per day! ”Bear’s Nests” in the trees Mast bounty = Rodent explosion & more predators Mast Failures & the Fall Shuffle September: American mountain-ash berries, black cherries, mountain holly fruits, and hazelnuts October: beechnuts, acorns, wild apple, arrowwood and wild raisin. www. adirondackwildlife. org
Denning – The Long Nap Dens may be caves, hollows in trees, under your porch, or just a clearing in some brush Dens may be lined with leaves, boughs, grasses Timing all about Latitude! Pregnant sows den 1 st in late September through October Sows with yearling cubs den together, and barren sows by late October Boars den by mid to late Nov Low Den Re-use, except by pregnant sows http: //fw. ky. gov/blackbearreproduction. asp No cohabitation www. adirondackwildlife. org
Hibernation or Dormancy? Seasonal reduction of metabolism, concurrent with reduction in food availability and temperature. Bears Burn Fat, not Protein Produces more energy & more water, but less urine, which is recycled anyway. Urea in blood -> CO 2, H 20 & Ammonia. Nitrogen shuttle: Ammonia & Glycerol produces amino acids & protein 3 grams of urea nitrogen -> 21 grams of protein, required to develop one cub. Lose 25% to 40% of Body Mass, but not lean body mass Hibernation period -> latitude & climate Fat Trigger? Black bears can only hibernate in Winter, while polar bears can hibernate at any time N. A. Bear Center – “June” denning http: //www. flickr. com/groups/1379701@N 23/discuss/72157627795123302/ www. adirondackwildlife. org
Pregnancy & Birth Delayed implantation Fat sow becomes pregnant when she dens Blastocysts in anorexic sows dissolve Sows give birth in January during virtual starvation, an “external” pregnancy Cubs weigh about 12 oz at birth About 10 lbs. by April Orphaned cubs may be placed with nursing sow Mama’s milk 25 -30% fat, low carbo, high in ash, calcium & phosphorus, from 6 nipples. http: //dnr. wi. gov/org/land/wildlife/PUBL/wlnotebook/bear. htm www. adirondackwildlife. org
Medical Interests in Studying Bears Gallstone Treatment Kidney Disease From studying Hibernation processes: Atherosclerosis Muscle Cramps Bone Calcium Loss Renal disease Anorexia Skin regeneration Suspended animation North American Bear Center www. adirondackwildlife. org www. bear. org
Are Bears Intelligent? Can They Reason, Understand & Learn? www. adirondackwildlife. org
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How Intelligent are Bears? Grizzlies and calves Yosemite: the “VW Bear” www. adirondackwildlife. org
Camping in Bear Country Keep a Clean Campsite! Use Bear Canisters: “Bear. Vault” brand may not be reliable yet Store the food away from the Campsite! Prepare food at least 100 ft. away from sleeping area Bear encounters Local DEC Number: 518 -897 -1291 Bang Pots & Pans together! Don’t Challenge the Bear Above, DEC biologist Lou Berchielli with “Yellow-Yellow”, left campers in High Peaks, both from Adirondack Daily Enterprise www. adirondackwildlife. org
Living in Bear Country Lock your doors & windows! Don’t Feed Them! Pet Food Bowls Bird Feeders Camp Fire Food Compost Secure Your Trash Use Solar Electric Fencing Photo by Deb Mac. Kenzie www. adirondackwildlife. org
Causes of Mortality Habitat Loss Forest Fragmentation Hunting In 28 states Reintroduced in Arkansas & Louisiana Avg. age of bears killed by hunters in Minn. Males – 2, females - 3 Poaching Asian Market for Gall Bladders & Bear Paws South Korean “Hanyuk” medicine Guided Hunts Cubs & Yearlings Starvation, predation, parasites & falls http: //www. dec. ny. gov/outdoor/28605. html Motor Vehicle www. adirondackwildlife. org
Protecting the Black Bear Maintaining Wilderness Sanctuaries Protecting Sows through Adjusting Hunting Seasons Stiffer penalties for Poaching & illegal trade in animal http: //www. cawtglobal. org/wildlife-crime/ www. adirondackwildlife. org
The Truth about Bear Attacks “You only read about a bear when he bites someone” Bart the Bear Grizzly attacks in US-Canada: 4 – 6 per year How many people see Grizzlies up close? Fatal Black Bear attacks - 23 in last 100 years Spider bites: 17 times as many fatalities snakebite 25, Domestic dogs 67, Lightening 374 If attacked, then what? Pepper Spray or Firearms? Predatory or Defensive attack? www. adirondackwildlife. org
Where the Wild Things Were Nature is a Top. Down System Predators Herbivores Plants Trophic Cascades Otters, Kelp & Killer Whales Conservation Biology & Biodiversity www. adirondackwildlife. org http: //www. lausd. k 12. ca. us/Figueroa_EL/lifescience 4. htm
References on Black Bears Main reference for this presentation: “Great American Bear”, by Jeff Fair http: //www. bear. org/website/ www. adirondackwildlife. org
Learn more! Google these Bear Experts Lynn Rogers, Minnesota Charlie Russell, Kamchatka Stephen Herrero, Calgary Doug Peacock, Montana Gary Alt, Pa. Ben Kilham, New Hampshire James Halfpenny, Yellowstone www. adirondackwildlife. org Jeff Fair, New Hampshite
Other Critters at the Refuge www. adirondackwildlife. org
Thank You! Adirondack Wildlife Refuge & Rehab Center www. adirondackwildlife. org 977 Springfield Rd. , Wilmington, NY 12997 1 -855 -Wolf-Man
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