Real bears are large, seldom seen mammals capable of harming man. One doesn't need ancient Greek mythology to respect those laws of nature.
In Pennsylvania we have one species of bear, Ursas Americana, the Black Bear. Now is the time of year when the approximately 15,000 bears emerge from the den, hungry following a long winter nap.
These large mammals live in the woods and like dense, bushy cover. Some of these omnivores have become comfortable living close to man where there are trash cans with food to raid. This close proximity to man amuses some and annoys others. Because of the nature of the beast, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has issued a recent news release pertinent to keeping bears out of your area.
Black bears are not necessarily black. Their fur may be cinnamon with some white on the chest. Although they may only stand about three to four feet high while on all fours, they make up for their short stature in weight, with males reaching 700 to 800 pounds on rare occasions. Females usually weigh around 150 to 400 pounds with one North American record of a 458 pound female from Pennsylvania.
Female bears are sows. If you see mamma bear this spring, she should be with her new born little ones, usually two or three of them. Young are born in the den during the winter and weigh less than a pound at birth. New born bears seen this time of year may weigh about 10 pounds. Male bears are called boars. They breed with the sows in June and July.
If your in the wild and hear a woof, sob, bawl, low grunt, huff or mumble, this could be a bear. These mammals are mostly nocturnal, run up to 30 miles per hour, swim and climb trees.
A bears diet is mostly vegitarian, but diverse enough to include garbage, carrion, fish, smaller mammals, reptiles and on occasion farm animals. Bears really do enjoy honey. In bear country, commercial hives need the protection of electric fences.
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