Here at the IMPORTANT BEAR NEWS headcave, it appears there are at least a third more of you now than there were for volume one. We're not sure how to feel about that, necessarily, but we're glad to know that more of the people want more of the bears more of the time. Also, it's officially autumn, and bears are on the move since 'the acorn crop is highly variable' and this year's acorn crop isn't looking so hot. To the bears!

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New Jersey Is In The Midst Of A Bear Crisis
British Columbia Needs More Bear Spray
WARNING: Central Park Is NOT Bear-Friendly 
California Trashcans: For People, Not For Bears 
Eating Bears Could Help Us Learn To Live

 

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black bear (Ursus americanus) also called American bear, the most common bear (family Ursidae), found in the forests of North America, including parts of Mexico. White markings may occur on the chest, sometimes in the shape of a V. Depending on their color variations, black bears are often referred to as cinnamon bears, blue-gray or blue-black glacier bears, and white bears.

food: Though classified as carnivores, black bears have an omnivorous diet. In spring they consume emerging plants and carcasses of animals that have died during the winter. Fruits dominate the diet in summer, and both fruit and mast, especially acorns and beechnuts, constitute most of the fall diet. As opportunistic feeders, black bears will also eat pinecones, roots, ants, and honey from wild or domestic bees.

population: Black bears are not territorial; they are mostly solitary, and the home ranges of both males and females may overlap. Home ranges typically are larger where food is less abundant and smaller where food is plentiful. Throughout Canada and the United States, home ranges of black bears extend from about 40 to 200 square km (15 to 77 square miles) for males but are considerably smaller for females. Breeding begins in the spring and peaks during June and July. Black bears are promiscuous, males and females often mating with several individuals.
 
(via Encyclopedia Britannica Online)

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