Bear Essentials
Reid Neureiter Interviews A Bear While The Bear Eats Berries
Story and photos by Reid Neureiter
For the GPHN
During an autumn bicycle ride up Waterton Canyon in Littleton, the Greater Park Hill News happened upon a young bear, voraciously eating berries while putting on weight for the winter hibernation. So naturally we asked the bear some questions while he was posing for the camera.
GPHN: You are light brown or even blond in color. What kind of bear are you?
Mr. Bear: I am an American black bear, or Ursus Americanus. I am the only species of bear now found in Colorado. “Black” is the species, not the color. In terms of color, we American black bears can be black, brown, cinnamon or even blond. “Brown bear” is another name for a grizzly bear, a much larger species with the distinctive hump on its shoulders. Unfortunately, Colorado’s last grizzly was killed by a hunter in the San Juan mountains in 1979.
GPHN: You do not look very big. How much do you weigh?
Mr. Bear: I beg your pardon? That is kind of a personal question. I will answer generally for my species. Black bears stand approximately three feet tall when on all four legs. We can be from five to six feet long. Male black bears average 275 pounds and females 175 pounds. Some have been reported to weigh more than 500 pounds.
GPHN: You seem very hungry and are very focused on eating those berries. Why so famished?
Mr. Bear: We bears try to put on as much weight as possible in the summer and late fall to get ready for hibernation. I might eat up to 90 pounds of food in a day and double my weight as I get ready to hibernate.
GPHN: What do you typically eat?
Mr. Bear: These berries I am eating are Virginia Creeper berries. But we bears are omnivorous, meaning we will eat almost anything. In the spring we eat emerging grasses, and in the summer and early fall berries and other fruits. We will also eat ants, beetle larvae, and wasps, bees and termites. Given the chance, I will catch and eat small mammals like rabbits, beaver or young deer.
GPHN: Tell us about hibernation. What is that all about? How does it work?
Mr. Bear: With the temperature dropping in late fall and sources of food disappearing, I will enter my winter den and enter a state of torpor, or light sleep. My body goes into a state of metabolic suppression, with my heart rate dropping to 8-10 beats per minute and I will average only one breath per minute. I will stay in the den until spring, occasionally waking to lick and clean my fur and foot pads. I will not urinate or defecate during this time. My body mass will drop by 33 percent as I survive on the fat layer built up during the fall. Female bears give birth during the hibernation period, and while the mother stays in a state of on-and-off hibernation, the hairless cubs will find their mothers’ nipples and nurse until springtime, getting all the nutrients they need from their mother’s milk.
GPHN: Are you dangerous?
Mr. Bear: We black bears generally try to avoid humans altogether, and usually act aggressively only when we feel threatened or frightened. The chances of me attacking a human is very low. Most incidents occur when a person surprises one of us or gets too close, especially to a mama bear with cubs. If you encounter me on a trail, be calm, stand your ground and talk calmly. Do not run. Back slowly away. Make sure we bears have an escape route. If you give me space, I will usually go about my business while ignoring you. In bear country, it is a good idea to hike in groups and make noise in blind spots along the trial so you don’t surprise me.
GPHN: What is the biggest threat to Colorado’s black bears?
Mr. Bear: The real danger to me and my family would be if I were habituated to human food sources, like garbage, food at a campsite, dog food or bird feeders. If I were to get too comfortable around people, I might destroy your property or even become a threat to your safety while searching for food. Then the authorities would likely destroy me. So never feed me, and in bear country don’t put out food for wildlife that attracts me. When camping, keep a clean camp and tent, avoid packing odorous foods and make sure to use bear-proof, odor-proof containers.
GPHN: Thanks so much for your time. Where can I learn more about Colorado’s bears?
Mr. Bear: Colorado Parks & Wildlife has a good pamphlet called “Living with Bears: How to Avoid Conflicts” that is available at cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Education/LivingWithWildlife/LivingWithBears.pdf and the National Park Service has information about the black bears in Rocky Mountain National Park at nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/black_bears.htm