Suburban Black Bears

As suburban sprawl has encroached on Black Bear habitat, the Black Bear population has been increasing, partially due to Black Bears adapting to suburban conditions. The suburbs provide a delectable feast of garbage, fruit trees and pet food, as well as oases of backyard swimming pools. Interstingly, the Black Bears have been found in San Diego and Santa Cruz. I wonder if there are any documented sitings of them in those areas during pre-European settlement times. It seems highly unlikely, however, so Black Bears ahve adapted and expanded their range. They seem to fit the unnatural landscape. If you build it they will come...

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"For example, unlike wild bear food such as acorns and berries, garbage is high in protein and fat, which is why bears crave it. Fatter female bears produce more embryos, and many bears in Southern California are having litters of two or three cubs, compared to one or two naturally, said Kevin Brennan, a wildlife biologist for the state Department of Fish and Game.

"A 2003 study of black bears in the Sierra Nevada found that those in urban areas and eating garbage weighed as much as 30% more than bears in wilderness areas. They also were significantly less active — restricting their range from about 150 square miles to just a few blocks in urban neighborhoods. The study was published in the Journal of Zoology.

"The state Fish and Game Department estimates that 33,260 black bears inhabit California today — up from roughly 4,000 in 1984. Hunters have been taking about 1,800 animals annually in recent years, compared to about 1,000 per year 20 years ago, according to the department.

"The bear resurgence also is occurring across much of the country. Pennsylvania has seen a sevenfold increase in bears in 20 years, and similar dramatic boosts have occurred in Virginia, Maine and New Jersey. Maryland and New Jersey had almost no bears a generation ago, but both states recently opened bear-hunting seasons."