12/07/2025
๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ก๐: ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ - ๐๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ฝ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ง๐จ
Black bears break bear rules, especially Lewis and Clark, our American black bear brothers. Apparently, neither has read the scientific literature on black bear behavior.
According to biologists, male bears are solitary and form no long-term bonds with other bears. Really? All black bears?
Lewis and Clark are inseparable. Even on scorching summer days, they rest near each other, often touching.
Biologists say wild bears use trees as message boards to support their solitary existence. A male will stand on his hind legs, dig into tree bark with strong claws, sometimes bite to show height and strength, then rub his scent to ensure the message is read. This usually works. Although males have overlapping home ranges, they rarely fight.
For 24 years, our bears have never felt the need to define space; they simply share. Lewis and Clark are clearly breaking the rules.
Female bears, unlike solitary males, spend much of their lives with their young. Moms care for cubs for 18 months, feeding and teaching them about their world. Since females have cubs every two years, they spend most of their lives in the company of other bears.
Lewis and Clark, however, were orphaned at four months when their mom was killed in a collision with an automobile. Zoologists at Palm Beach Zoo took on the role of mother bear. Auto strikes are the number one cause of death for black bears in our state, often resulting in cubs needing care.
Bear hunts, like the one that began yesterday, can also create orphans since itโs hard to tell males from females at a distance. Mistakes happen. Zoos can help rescue cubs in these cases.
You might think Lewis and Clark enjoy each other because of their stress-free life. Thatโs possible. It could also be that some wild bears break the rules and choose to spend time together, and we just arenโt there to see it.
If you love black bears, support the Florida Wildlife Corridor. When complete, road mortalities and hunting mishaps will be greatly reduced.
-Margo McKnight, President and Chief Executive Officer
