A black bear or baribal is a bear that lives in the northern regions of America: Alaska, Canada, the northern states of the USA and Mexico. Depending on the habitat, black bears are somewhat different from each other. There are more than a dozen of such varieties. Outwardly, a black bear looks like a brown one, although it is somewhat smaller in size and its coat is black in color, often casting blue.
A black bear or baribal is a species of bears found in North America. Baribals are the most common bears in the USA, Canada and Mexico. This bear is smaller in size than brown and looks something like a Himalayan bear. Baribal, in comparison with the grizzly widespread in the same place, is considered less aggressive and less dangerous.
Black bears are not pronounced predators, feed mainly on plant foods. Their constant diet is nuts, acorns, berries, roots, fruits of wild trees. Insects such as termites, ants, and bees eat in large quantities. When it is possible they catch fish and small animals, sometimes they also watch livestock. There are times that they climb into apiaries and gardens. Cases of attacks on people are very rare.
The size of a black bear usually does not exceed 2 meters in length, while its weight is about 300 kg. Females are smaller, about one and a half meters in length. The baribal has a pointed muzzle, powerful long legs with short feet and short thickened claws.
The coat of the baribals is black, but there is brown or light brown, sometimes light marks are visible on the chest. Some are even difficult to distinguish from a grizzly, except perhaps for the straight, not concave profile of the muzzle and the absence of a high withers. In addition, the smaller baribal has curved claws, because it is suitable for climbing trees.
The number of baribals is much higher than the grizzly. Although they lead a solitary lifestyle and occupy a certain territory, they are motivated more by the presence of food, rather than by protecting their territory. Baribals are more peaceful to people, they whenever possible in every possible way avoid conflicts with people. Usually at a meeting the baribal will snort, dig the ground or pretend that he wants to rush, but usually this ends and he leaves home. Very rare cases of attacks on a person, and even then only those that once offended a person.
Baribals are quite large animals and in order to accumulate fat reserves by winter, they eat tens of kilograms of nuts and berries per day and are forced to feed 12 hours a day. And in some places, they adapted to fish, which is more nutritious.
In the southern regions, where there is enough food all year round, only pregnant females lie in the winter. There they arrange shelters in the trees. In the north, they are forced to build lairs in the ground or among the roots of trees, where they sleep for up to 7 months.
American black bears are quite a large population, according to recent data there are now about 8 million individuals. Their high number is mainly due to the fact that due to the peaceful disposition of bears, people began to treat them more loyally. Yes, and the bears themselves, not seeing the threat from the man, have become more tolerant of the presence of man. Moreover, a rather large category has appeared among black bears that feed on the remnants of human food. Such and look very well-fed.
And although hunting is not prohibited, it is tightly regulated. Hunters annually exterminate up to 40 thousand black bears, which is only 5-6% of their total number. So baribals are the only species of bears, the number of which is constantly growing.
