Bear With Me, Yellowstone (Part 3)

Black bear and her cubs.

These cubs are from this year.  Bear cubs are born in the deep winter months of January and February, while thir mother still hibernated.  In March and April they begin to venture out with their mother as she digs for roots, insects, and looks for squirrels.  They have phenomenal energy and attention spans lasting seconds.

Grizzly bears are usually seen in open areas.  Montana has the largest grizzly bear population in the lower 48 states.  Black bears are most often along the edges of wooded areas in the Lamar and Hayden valleys, or amoung the trees near Mammoth and Tower.

The American black bear can be black, brown, or even white.  All I saw on my trip were black.  Black bears are the only native bear of North America.

Here's another mama black bear and her cub we saw.

The cute bear cub

At one point the adorable cub was prancing and a little dancing, he just couldn't contain his energy.

Black bears are smaller than grizzlies, with adult males weighing between 210 and 315 pounds and females between 135 and 200 pounds.  Black bears have few natural predators.

Black bears eat almost anything including grasses, fruits, tree cambium (thin outside layer), eggs, insects, fish, elk calves, and carrion.  Males and females without cubs are solitary except during the mating season, May to early July.  Both genders usually begin breeding at age four.  Females experience delayed implantation, where the embryo does not immediately implant in the uterus, but is maintained in a state of dormancy.  No development takes place during this delay and so normal gestation is extended.  This reproductive strategy is used by almost 100 different mammals.

While we were in bear country, we were privileged to visit Dan and Cindy Hartman at their gallery, Wildlife Along the Rockies.  Dan has guided for National Geographic as well as BBC films.  His photography, and stories of the wildlife are thrilling.  I enjoy his wildlife photos tremendously.  If you want a glimpse, a real treat, look at Wildlife Along The Rockies
And now I've been photographed by Dan Hartman, you can see here!  I'm standing next to a tree just outside the Gallery.  Just look at those real bear claw marks!

Black bears may live 15 - 30 years.  They can run up to 45 mph.  They can climb trees, but their curved claws and weight makes this difficult.  They can swim, and run uphill and downhill.  And the cubs can dance!