Description
More about the black bear:
Generally shy and reclusive animals, black bears avoid human contact and are not normally aggressive. Long, powerful, non-retractable claws make them excellent climbers, an important skill for finding food and fleeing from humans. Black bears can thrive in a variety of habitats, especially where food is abundant. They eat grasses, fish, berries, fruits, nuts, acorns, insects, small rodents, birds, eggs, and dead animal matter.
Before the winter months, black bears are constantly foraging for food to increase their fat reserves. They retire to their den and become dormant during the winter, but are not true hibernators making it easy to rouse them from dormancy.
Once heavily hunted for sport, food, and clothing, black bear populations began to decline because of human population increase and unrestricted hunting. Today, the black bear is hunted but the harvest is strictly regulated.