Long before New Jersey was filled with people, neighborhoods, or businesses black bears occupied the land. These bears are given the title of state bear, and they are the largest mammal in the state.
Over the years a major concern has developed. I seems that these creatures have found new feeding grounds in the garbage, and since there are more of them now, the problem is growing. Each year there are more human to bear encounters, and the situation can get tense.
Residents have been waking up to find these animals in their backyards foraging through the garbage. It is becoming increasingly a bigger problem than ever before, because their population has grown.
Walking on all fours they reach a height of about three feet. Standing they average five to seven feet. Their eyesight is much better than ours, and they have an acute sense of smell. A black bear can catch a scent from 2 miles in any direction.
They can live up to twenty five years. Black bears are omnivores, because they eat both animal and plant based foods. Their diet ranges from berries to white tailed deer carcasses.
Just like any other animal bears are opportunity seekers, and they have learned that coming around local residents is a good place to get a free meal. Late in the spring they will eat the local vegetation.
Locating this plant is not hard because of its smell. They find it quite tasty, and they like to dig it up and eat the succulent roots. To humans it has a pungent smell that we find distasteful.
In the summer the way they ate, during the winter is not the same way that they eat now. Their goal is to gain as much weight as they possibly can because they will need all of those stored calories later.
The lifespan of this animal is approximately 25 years. Mating for them begins when they are around 5 years of age. Some have been known to reproduce earlier. Unlike other members of their species, they may not stay in a state of hibernation. They might be up and actively moving around all throughout the year.
The nature of this creature is not overly aggressive. If left alone they are not interested in interacting with humans. However, if they feel that their offspring is in danger or they feel threatened they will not back down. They can be very dangerous.
They are designed to discourage the intruder from coming any further. As a last resort, they will pretend to charge. The problem that has been occurring between the bears and local residents stems from their familiarity with man because of access to unlimited food supply.
The best way to control this behaviour is to carefully store garbage in the proper containers. The hope is to protect our state bear and draw them away from residential areas. This is the best scenario for everyone.
Over the years a major concern has developed. I seems that these creatures have found new feeding grounds in the garbage, and since there are more of them now, the problem is growing. Each year there are more human to bear encounters, and the situation can get tense.
Residents have been waking up to find these animals in their backyards foraging through the garbage. It is becoming increasingly a bigger problem than ever before, because their population has grown.
Walking on all fours they reach a height of about three feet. Standing they average five to seven feet. Their eyesight is much better than ours, and they have an acute sense of smell. A black bear can catch a scent from 2 miles in any direction.
They can live up to twenty five years. Black bears are omnivores, because they eat both animal and plant based foods. Their diet ranges from berries to white tailed deer carcasses.
Just like any other animal bears are opportunity seekers, and they have learned that coming around local residents is a good place to get a free meal. Late in the spring they will eat the local vegetation.
Locating this plant is not hard because of its smell. They find it quite tasty, and they like to dig it up and eat the succulent roots. To humans it has a pungent smell that we find distasteful.
In the summer the way they ate, during the winter is not the same way that they eat now. Their goal is to gain as much weight as they possibly can because they will need all of those stored calories later.
The lifespan of this animal is approximately 25 years. Mating for them begins when they are around 5 years of age. Some have been known to reproduce earlier. Unlike other members of their species, they may not stay in a state of hibernation. They might be up and actively moving around all throughout the year.
The nature of this creature is not overly aggressive. If left alone they are not interested in interacting with humans. However, if they feel that their offspring is in danger or they feel threatened they will not back down. They can be very dangerous.
They are designed to discourage the intruder from coming any further. As a last resort, they will pretend to charge. The problem that has been occurring between the bears and local residents stems from their familiarity with man because of access to unlimited food supply.
The best way to control this behaviour is to carefully store garbage in the proper containers. The hope is to protect our state bear and draw them away from residential areas. This is the best scenario for everyone.
About the Author:
If you would like to find a state bear for your home state, check out www.jpsbears.com. You will find a great selection of stuffed bears when you come to the main site of JP's Bears at http://www.jpsbears.com today.
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