All bears that are aggressive in nature, or sightings in urban areas, should be reported to the Conservation Officer Service (1-87). While most bear encounters result in the bear leaving an area, they can become more assertive or destructive when they have learned to associate humans and their activities with food. Bears are most active from April to November, but in milder climates, or where they are continuously finding food, bears may not go into their dens. They are renowned for their acute sense of smell that allows them to locate food at great distances.īlack bears account for 14,000 to 25,000 calls per year to the Conservation Officer Service. Black bears are omnivorous animals with vegetation making up about 80% of their diet. While called a black bear, these animals come in a variety of colours – everything from the white Kermode bear through to their namesake black and most shades of brown in between. Most of BC is considered “bear country” with bears living in coastal temperate rainforests as well as the dry interior. British Columbia has some of the highest populations of black bears in the world with estimates ranging from 120 to 150 thousand animals. Rear: generally between 5.25” to 8.8” long by 3.5” to 6” wide.The American black bear ( Ursus americanus) is the most common and widely distributed of the three bears found in Canada. A "v" of fur cuts into the rear metacarpal pad and may show up in the track. The claws on the rear feet tend to be shorter. Sometimes the back of the rear foot does not register in the track. When the whole foot is visible in the track, the rear foot will appear longer and the heel portion tapers to a blunted point.
The rear tracks are also blocky, with the metacarpal having a fused heel and palm portion of the foot. The claws on the front feet are longer and show up farther from the toes in the tracks.įront: generally between 3.75” to about 8” long by 3.25” to 6” wide. Their small, rounded heel pad appears sometimes in tracks as a circle separate from and below the metacarpal pad. The front feet are blocky, with a somewhat rectangular metacarpal pad. The negative space between the toes is filled with fur. The claws on both front and hind often show up in the tracks.
Bears show 5 toes on both front and hind tracks. Unlike human feet, however, bears have their largest toe to the outside of their feet, their feet are more robust and rounder, and they have sharp claws. Tracks: The tracks of the American black bear are flat-footed, large and rather human like in appearance. The diet of the American black bear is varied and includes: fruit, berries, shoots, bulbs, tubers, buds, catkins, insects, young ungulates, and fish. Black bears average between 90 and 400 pounds in weight, with males generally being the larger and heavier sex. As you can see in the photo above, cubs born of the same litter can be two or more different colors. Though called "black" bears, they come in a variety of colors and shades including black, brown, cinnamon, grayish, blonde and white. Black bears share some of their range with grizzly bears, and can be distinguished from them by their shorter claws, lack of muscular hump between the shoulders and straight face profile (versus the grizzlies more dish-shaped face profile). They are absent in the central plains and open desert regions of the continent. It is found in a variety of habitats including arctic tundra, hardwood forests, riparian areas, swamps, coniferous forests and forested mountain regions. The American black bear is the most common and most adaptable bear species in North America.
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