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Over the years, I have come to know and respect these bears so much. I couldn't in good conscience condemn them to a life of captivity, even here where I know they would always be safe and cared for. On a similar issue, I have had two adult coyotes which have fostered orphaned pups for over 18 years.. Perhaps if a female bear would foster cubs, that would certainly be the one scenario in which I would consider keeping a bear permanently. I doubt that will ever happen and I'm not at all sure it would even be possible. Specifically, I detest that we ever allow people to keep wild animals as pets. The funniest, was indigestion in a 5 month old female I raised from 12 weeks old. If I hadn't been able to interpret the behavior, I doubt I would have understood her attempts to show me what was wrong. When she first arrived, I would stimulate the bowel movements after each feeding to keep the vari-kennel cleaner until she was ready to move to an enclosure. Apparently she remembered that process and tried to duplicate it with me again. First she placed herself between my legs so I couldn't walk away and if I tried, she just moved right with me, always staying between my legs. Then she leaned heavily against one leg and began to rub against it. It didn't take long to figure out she wanted her tummy rubbed. The solution was a gentle stimulation of her bowels and a Tum given to her for the next couple of days. After that she was fine and never again displayed the same behavior. The funniest experience happened one fall day while I was cleaning up bear scat. After I empty a 20 pound sack of dog food, the sacks are used to hold the bear scat I pick up 2-3 times each day. It usually takes me about half an hour to make my way around the enclosure. I always made sure I knew where Griz was and what he was doing. On this day he was sitting on one of the logs minding his own business, acting totally unconcerned with me or the other bears. I merrily made my way around the enclosure, dragging the sack of bear scat beside me as I went. Every now and then I glanced at Griz who had changed places, but wasn't anywhere near me and didn't appear to even notice I was around. Lulled into my false sense of security, I finished making my way around the enclosure, ending up back at the main door with a hefty sack full of bear scat. What I didn't know was that at some point, Griz had managed to claw a hole in the bottom of the sack without my even knowing he had been near it. Then he went back to his log and watched while I put scat in one end and it came out the other end. I turned around as I was leaving and there sitting about a foot away from me was Griz. Beside him was a long stream of bear scat that stretched from the bottom of my sack to the back of the enclosure. The hole was small enough and there was enough scat that the sack was still heavy so I had no idea of the prank he had pulled on me. However, it was quite apparent from the position he took so close by as I was leaving, that he was well aware of his accomplishment and quite amused by the whole thing. The scariest was just before preparing the bears for hibernation. We taper the food supply and eventually stop feeding. It's necessary to simulate what happens in nature or they won't hibernate. On the last day I feed, I will check the enclosure for any repairs, say my goodbyes to each bear, and make sure everything is in place for me to walk away. For the next two weeks they are in hibernation in the enclosure. Following that we take them out and place them in dens in the mountains to finish hibernation there. On this day, I had already said all my goodbyes, but took one last opportunity to acknowledge Griz. As I walked past him, I tapped him on the rump while he was eating the last apple and said something like "Griz, you've been an experience I'll never forget". Before I could even blink, he raised up on his hind feet, pushed me back against the wire and held me there. He had that cocky tilt of his head and the "don't mess with me" look in his eyes and his snout was nose to nose with me. That was just Griz and I knew he wouldn't intentionally hurt me. He was just treating me like he did any other bear who bugged him, but it was so unexpected that he startled me badly, I think my heart stopped beating for a moment. I'm still surprised that I didn't wet my pants. Then he dropped down and continued eating his apple. I collected myself, breathed again and started to leave the enclosure. As I walked past him, I said, "Griz, leave it to you to be Griz to the end". Showing my stupidity Once again, I touched him on the rump as I walked past. I had taken about 5 steps when I heard him coming. Being old and decrepit, I didn't know I had it in me to run that fast. Once before he had tripped me and then sat on me...not the most pleasant of positions to find yourself in. Luckily, he was quite happy to just sit on me, but I wasn't risking that again. I just got the door open and bolted through before turning to latch it as he raised up in front of me. He leaned against the chain link door, putting the full force of his weight against it. When we were eyeball to eyeball, I swear I saw the biggest smile on that bear's face! I must admit when we denned him, there was a tear or two as I watched him go. I doubt there will ever be another quite like him. My guess is, to this day he is scattering bears wherever he goes. Bears in Rehab
Do you feed baby bears the same formula as human babies? [back to top]
No. Wildlife require special formulas made just for animals. The formula used depends on the species . Human formula can cause problems such as bloating and diarrhea and they do not do well on human formula. Until weaned at 5 months old, bear cubs use a formula we make especially for them . The formula is designed to be as close to their mother's milk as possible. The main ingredients are two types of powered formula made for wildlife, vitamins, Gerber's fruit baby cereal, and Gerber's rice cereal. Have you ever been hurt by the bears? [back to top]
No. Not in the way you probably mean. When the cubs are tiny they are pretty helpless. As they get older, the claws, which are not retractable are always there. Even at 12 weeks old the jaws are very powerful. I may get a few scratches and bruises during that time. Once in a great while we have a cub that is a handful. In that case you do have to be extra careful because their temper can flare so quickly and at the most unexpected moment. Once the cubs are older and capable of causing serious injuries, they seem to mellow out. Also, the cubs still on formula see me as mom so their intent isn't to hurt me. They are just playful and forget I don't have the fur coat their real mom had to protect me from the playful swats and bites. I've been startled many times, but can honestly say I never felt in danger from any of the bears.
Isn't it hard to let them go when you release them? [back to top]
When you become a wildlife rehabilitator, you learn pretty quickly not to get attached. From the day the animal arrives, you are working towards the release. If you get attached, you are then working towards a goal you come to dread. However, just because we learn not to get attached, that doesn't mean we don't care. Every bear is different and special in it's own way. Some I remember more than others, with some I'm sad to see our time together end, and with some I'm quite ready to have them take charge of their own lives. I often compare it to sending your kids off to college. It's sad to see them go and you enjoyed the years (in my case months) with them, but you are glad to have some time to yourself again and to see them on their own finally.
Are the bears all different? [back to top]
Yes. Aside from the physical differences of size and color, each bear has a personality of it's own. For that reason, I have a different relationship with each bear and with the group as a whole. A cub might behave one way when it's alone and behave differently when with a group of cubs. It's similar to kid's demeanor when they are with their parents or their peers. Despite the different personalities, all the bears go through the same stages of development and certain behaviors are always expected and just part of being a bear.
What do the bears eat and what do they like best? [back to top]
Formula until they are 5 months old and weaned. Also, we start them out on soft foods like canned fruit, cereal, oatmeal, etc. Once they are weaned, they eat all kinds of fruit, dog food, acorns, fish, wild meat, carrots, vegetation, willows, and insects they find in the enclosure. Favorite foods would be frozen grapes, avocados, cherries, and apples. (Also see food chart in the rehab handbook).
How long do you keep the bears? [back to top]
Cubs generally stay with us until sometime in December or January, regardless of when they arrive. We start spring arrivals in hibernation here about the first of December. The intent is to have them in hibernation for about two weeks before moving them to a den in the mountains to continue the hibernation process. Cubs arriving late summer or early fall may be underweight. If a bear doesn't have sufficient weight to survive the five or six months of hibernation, they won't hibernate. In that case, we continue to feed them. Sometimes they will gain enough weight to hibernate during part of February and are active again in March. We release those cubs in late spring after hunting season ends. How do you get the bears to mountain dens in December? [back to top]
We tranquilize them here, load them in strong metal carriers, and drive them to the base of the mountain. By the time we get there, the bears are awake and a bit grumpy. We then load the carriers on to sleds pulled by snowmobiles. Several miles up the mountain we reach the area of the den sites. We use both natural bear dens and artificial dens constructed during the summer. It's a full day's trip, sometimes 2 days if the weather isn't cooperating, the snow conditions aren't right, or the snowmobiles break down. We then have to tranquilize the bears one last time to place them in the dens. John Beecham or Jeff Rohlman will place the bears in the den, cover up the front with pine boughs and snow. Once we leave, the bears are on their own. When they awake again, they may stay in the den, come out and wander around for a while, and either return to that den or find another den on their own.
Have any of the bears ever escaped? [back to top]
During the first three years, when the cubs were little and while I as learning exactly what bears could do, they did manage to escape a couple of times. All they did was head for the nearest tree, climb to the top, and stay there until someone climbed the tree to retrieve them. Now when we put them in an enclosure for the first time or build a new enclosure, I'm right there with them. Bears will always investigate every inch to see if there are any interesting areas that deserve more attention. When they are satisfied, I'm satisfied. Sometimes, when they are eight weeks old, I'll let them run around on the lawn as they stick close to me at that age. However, if something startles them, they still head for the nearest tree. Since I'm not into climbing trees, I'm pretty selective about when I do this.
How do bears play? [back to top]
What a great question. We always think of bears as big predators and most of us don't get to see the "kid" in the bear. Even adult bears can be playful. The cubs are constantly playing. Watching them can wear a person out. When the cubs are young and mom is a favorite toy to bite and chew on, five minutes of play can easily match a good half hour aerobic workout. They wrestle with each other endlessly, chase each other around, invent games around logs or stumps, and the most favorite of all - possession of the swim tub. One bear takes possession and it becomes the goal of all the other cubs to dethrone that bear. Even on hot days, when they aren't in the swim tub, they will be lying around on the ground in the shade lazily playing footsie with each other.
Do bears show emotions like joy or sadness? [back to top]
We humans have been arguing that point back and forth forever when it comes to animals. My response is an unqualified YES. Perhaps our problem in defining whether animals feel or not is that we tend to impose our idea of "feelings". Do bears express emotions in the way we humans do? No, they don't. But think about it, if you chastise your dog, the dog will have a reaction - is it fear, shame, hurt, sadness? Bears do have feelings and do react. The key is learning to recognize, understand, and interpret those feelings and reactions. If you read the welcome letter at the beginning of this web site, you will understand exactly what I'm saying here.
If a bear can't be released, do you keep it as a pet? [back to top]
Before I became involved in wildlife rehab, I was one of those who probably would have had one or two of every animal if I could have managed it. Once I began working with wild animals, I quickly understood how wrong that was. We humans value our freedom, but freedom is everything to a wild animal. Occasionally, when an animal can't be released, it can be given a useful and happy life in captivity as an education animal. Rehabilitators will selectively keep these animals to take to schools. It depends on whether they feel the animal will be happy in captivity. The majority of the time, if an animal can't be released, it would be cruel to keep it in captivity and we humanely euthanize the animal. Imagine if you were a bird and couldn't fly or a dolphin and couldn't swim.
Does your regular veterinarian take care of the bears? What vaccinations do you give them? [back to top]
When I started, my veterinarian, Dr. Leon C. Johnson of Northwest Animal Hospital had studied wildlife medicine so I was very lucky. He took care of the bears for the last several years . Then Dr. Robert Carlson took over until he moved to Hawaii for a time. For the last two years, Dr. Tim Murphy of Animals R' Us has taken care of the bears and my cats, dogs, etc. He is fearless when it comes to the bears so it's been fun working with him. Thankfully, the bears don't have much in the way of health problems. We only vaccinate with Ivermectin for parasites and we give Tetanus shots to all cubs arriving in spring and summer Although it was never officially called Tetanus, we had two cubs die a few years ago of what appeared to be Tetanus. After that we regularly gave the cubs shots and haven't had a problem since then. Other than that, it's the occasional shot for pneumonia or an antibiotic for small wounds.
What is the youngest bear you ever received? [back to top] About five weeks old - very tiny - very adorable - very irresistible.
Have you ever had problems with the neighbors? [back to top]
No, the neighbors have been wonderful. We used to be surrounded by pasture and now have housing developments on 3 sides of our property. We invite them to come over to see what we are doing and answer any questions they have. Since the bears don't make any noise, aren't creating an odors, and are mostly just cute and playful, the neighbors have been very supportive. In fact, one of the neighbors is my unofficial bear watcher. She can see the whole enclosure while I can only see parts of it from my office where I work during the day. She will call me if she thinks there are any problems or concerns. It's wonderful to know I can count on that help. Nor do we have any problems with people hanging over the fences staring at the bears.
What is the most serious illness or medical problem you faced with the bears? [back to top]
The ones that killed the bears. We've had two die of pneumonia despite antibiotics. Two died of what we believe was Tetanus. One took a fall of only 4 feet, but landed wrong and broke her neck. One was hit by a car, had a broken leg which had healed before she arrived. However, a persistent bone infection resulted in our having to euthanize her. We had one cub who was shot in the shoulder and paw and his fate was questionable for a while. However, the shoulder eventually healed with only a slight a dent. The cub could run every bit as fast as the other bears and we released him the next spring.
How much do the bears eat? How much does it cost to feed one bear per week? [back to top]
It's difficult to separate it out per bear because we rarely have one bear at a time. When we do, it depends on what time of year. In general, it costs about $1000 per bear for the 8-15 months they are with us. When they are just weaning at 5 months old, each bear may consume up to a gallon or more of formula a day. At that stage they are also eating solid foods. Once weaned off formula, a group of 3-4 bears will get a 5 gallon bucket full of fruit 2-3 times of day at the peak time when they are eating a lot of food. They will easily go through 40 pounds of dog food in a day. That averages out to about 5-10 pounds per bear, with some bears being small and eating less and some being larger and eating more. To that we add fish, acorns, willows, wild meat and they have all the vegetation and bugs they want in the enclosure.
What is most number of bears you have had at one time? [back to top]
Until 2004 it was 23 bears and that's about all I remember of the whole year. If it wasn't habit, it didn't happen because I was on automatic pilot much of that year. I forgot to renew my car registration, spaced out all appointments, only showed up for my job out of habit, and my drivers license expired. I think the officer figured my excuse was the most original he'd ever heard so he gave me a warning and one week to get it renewed. I beat the bears into hibernation that year. In 2004 we saved 40 cubs and due to the weather and no solid roof over the main enclosure it was a difficult time. In 2007 53 bears arrived, including yearlings and two bears two years old. The addition of our new solid roof made managing that number of bears much easier.
Do the bears show any difference in their reactions to children versus adults? [back to top]
Interesting question. I'm guessing you are referring to the fact that animals tend to sense that kids are more helpless and therefore less threatening than adults. We do education seminars with kids when possible, but we don't let either adults or kids interact with the bears so I haven't had any opportunity to observe that. When we do education seminars the kids see the bears only through one way mirrors. In thinking about it, I would say the only difference is that kids are normally noisier and therefore the bears tend to be much more alarmed at the sounds than with adults who talk softly and are quieter.
What is the funniest and scariest thing a bear ever did while with you? [back to top]
That would be Griz. Although not the largest, Griz was the most powerful bear I've ever worked with. He also had a mind set like a steel trap and determination that would make most of us instantly successful if we could harness it. He and his sibling Cheyenne came in at 10 weeks old. They had a very traumatic experience that caused them to become orphans. They were both a handful from day one, but Griz in particular. I learned early on that I better know what I was doing when it came to Griz and for sure I better know what he was thinking at any given moment. During his time with me, he ran me through the gambit of emotions. There wasn't a single day I didn't feel amused, frustrated, angry, startled, touched, and amazed by this wonderful bear. When he was wired up, bears scattered and I scattered, all of us looking for a safe haven.
Bears in the Wild
Do bears really sleep the whole time they are hibernating? [back to top]
Bears become lethargic prior to going into their chosen den for hibernation. Lack of food, weather, the bears condition, sex, and age may all play a part in when the bear begins hibernation. Generally, in northern latitudes, bears enter the den in October or November and not appear again until April or May. Their heartbeat and respiration decline significantly. Unlike other hibernators such as ground squirrels or marmots whose body temperatures drop dramatically, a bear's body temperature drops only slightly. Bears don't wake up every few days to eat, drink, urinate, or defecate during hibernation as other hibernators do. Surprisingly, bears are aware of what's going on even while in hibernation. They aren't in a deep "dead to the world" sleep. The degree of reaction varies as they are very lethargic. If you aren't a morning person, compare it to how difficult it is to get yourself moving when you first wake up and the slow motion mode you function in for a while. How can bears survive hibernation if they don't eat during that time? [back to top]
They live on the body fat built up during the year. From the time they leave hibernation in spring, bears are focused on building up their body fat to survive the next hibernation. If they don't have sufficient weight, they won't survive the long sleep. If a pregnant female who would normally give birth during hibernation, doesn't have enough weight, she will not give birth to any cubs. It's pretty amazing that a female can give birth, nurse the cubs and do all that during hibernation when she doesn't eat or drink anything. You can understand why bears get desperate in poor food years as there is a lot at stake. It is literally a life and death struggle to build up enough body fat to survive hibernation. How long do baby bears stay with their mother in the wild? [back to top]
Black bear cubs are born during hibernation in late January or early February, weighing 8-12 ounces. They are born with their eyes closed, but have hair on their bodies. The cubs will remain with their mother throughout the year and into hibernation the next fall. When they come out of hibernation as yearlings, they will stay with her until she breeds again. In Idaho that would be mid-May through early August. They are approximately 17 months old when they become independent of their mother. Occasionally, a cub will stay with it's mother for up to 29 months, but that is rare in Idaho. It can be a confusing time for the cubs when they are first on their own. It's also one of the most dangerous times for them. Does the male participate in raising the cubs? [back to top]
No. In fact, cubs can fall prey to male bears so the female must keep males away from her and the cubs.
How long do bears live and how much does an adult bear weigh? [back to top]
Weight will vary depending on the location, the season, and the sex of the bear. In Idaho during summer months, males will average 250-280. Females average 120-140. Bears in Pennsylvania, for example may weigh up to 400 pounds with the rare individual weighing more than 800 pounds. During John Beecham's black bear studies in Idaho, he trapped bears that were 22 or 23 years old. The oldest known aged wild bears in Idaho lived to be over 30 years old.
Do bears socialize with each other? [back to top]
Bears generally only socialize during breeding season. When the female is in estrus, the male may stay with her for a few days. Other than that, adult bears are solitary creatures.
What is the gestation period? [back to top]
Good question, but it requires a bit of an explanation. In Idaho, studies showed the average age for females to produce young was 5 years or older. As mentioned earlier, in Idaho bears breed from mid-May until early August. I think John Beecham and Jeff Rohlman's book, "A Shadow in the Forest" explains it best. After the egg is fertilized, the resulting embryo is generally thought to implant shortly after hibernation begins, late October or early November. However, the embryo doesn't begin growing until early December and then it develops rapidly for six to ten weeks. Although the full gestation period is about 220 days, active embryo growth occurs for only 40 to 70 days. The female will absorb the fertilized egg if she doesn't have enough weight to support herself and the cubs during hibernation. Another way in which these bears are amazing animals.
What is the home range of an adult bear? [back to top]
Home range size is a function of habitat quality. The better the habitat is, the smaller the home range size. In Idaho, we found that males average 56 square miles and females about 12 square miles. Male black bears typically have home ranges that overlap 4-6 female home ranges.
Are black bears always black? [back to top]
No. They can be light, medium or dark brown, even a chocolate brown. Some are blonde or cinnamon. There is a rare white color phase of black bear (not an albino) called the Kermode Bear or Spirit Bear (see Spirit Bear link) who lives in the rain forests of British Columbia and a blue color phase found in southeastern Alaska