Bear Facts 15

 Asian black bear cubs are also a target for hunters.

The captured cubs usually aren’t killed, though. Instead, they’re put up for sale in the exotic pet market, where they’re bought by circuses and rich people for novelty value.

American black bears are the smallest bears in North America.

However, they’re the most widespread species. American black bears are found all the way from Alaska and Canada in the north, to Florida and even Mexico in the south. Scientists estimate that around 1 million American black bears roam Canada and the USA combined.

American black bears tend to avoid brown bears.

Brown bears are both bigger and stronger than American black bears. Thus, it’s only natural for American black bears to steer clear of their bigger relatives. Scientists have even observed the result of confrontations between the 2 species, usually ending in injury or death for American black bears.

The original teddy bear was an American black bear.

Specifically, it was an American black bear that the former US President Teddy Roosevelt found tied to a tree. The president refused to shoot the bear, which inspired entrepreneur Morris Michtom to introduce the brand ‘teddy bear’.

Winnie the Pooh was also inspired by an American black bear.

The color might have you thinking otherwise, but Pooh draws inspiration from the American black bear. English author A.A. Milne came up with the character when his son named a teddy bear after Winnipeg, a female American black bear kept in the London Zoo.

Smokey Bear is usually depicted as an American black bear.

First introduced in 1944, Smokey Bear is the officially-supported mascot of the United States Forest Service. He usually appears in animated documentaries regarding wildlife and camping safety.

American black bear meat is often eaten.

Native American hunters such as the Kutchin regularly hunt American black bears for their meat. However, sport hunters are also known to eat the meat, which they have described as savory and similar to pork. Former US President Teddy Roosevelt is among the historical figures known to have a taste of the American black bear.

The sun bear’s name comes from its distinctive appearance.

Specifically, the sun bear is named for the patch on its chest that’s usually shaped like a crescent, similar to the sun’s coronas. The color of the patch varies between animals, ranging from orange to cream.

Southeast Asian hunters also prize the sun bear for its meat.

Sun bear meat is usually eaten only by indigenous peoples across the region. Other hunters target the animal’s paws for use in magic. Its bile is also a valuable commodity in traditional medicine.

Sloth bears were once commonly seen in India as dancing bears.

Traditionally, sloth bears were domesticated in India to put on performances. However, the government declared the practice illegal in 1972. Despite that, it took decades for the practice to cease, with the last dancing bear only being freed in 2009.

The most famous bear in fiction is a sloth bear.

The title for the most famous sloth bear belongs to Baloo from The Jungle Book. Baloo taught the Law of the Jungle to the protagonist Mowgli, as well as to other young animals in his care.

Bear attacks are actually rare.

Bear attacks may get plenty of attention in the media, due to the brutality and violence. However, they’re not very common in terms of statistics, since bears tend to avoid humans as much as possible.

In fact, only 3 people die from bear attacks in Canada and the USA every year. To compare, 15 people die from dog attacks per year. Definitely one of the bear facts that’ll change your perspective.

Humans actually provoke many bear attacks.

Bear attacks usually happen when humans accidentally enter a bear’s territory, such as when hiking or camping. Outside these circumstances, most bear attacks only occur as self-defense towards hunters. Usually, bears would only attack a human if they come too close.