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Louisiana
black bears are black. Some have a distinct white "blaze"
on their chest. Adult males generally weigh from 250 to over 400
pounds and adult females range from 120 to over 275 pounds. Body
length of adults, nose to tail, ranges up to 6 feet.
Female
black bears begin to mate at 3 to 5 years of age and have one to four
cubs every other year. The young remain with their mother the first
year, den with her the following winter, and search for their own
territory in their second summer.
Bears tend to range over
large areas in search of basic needs such as food, escape cover, den
sites, and mates. Males have been known to range over 100 square
miles while females occupy much smaller home ranges, often less than
10 square miles.
Although classified as carnivores, Louisiana
black bears are not active predators. These intelligent mammals are
opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything that is available.
Although natural foods, such as berries and acorns, comprise a
majority of a bear's diet, bears readily take advantage of food
options provided by humans. When available, bears may feed on
agricultural crops such as corn, wheat, oats, and sugarcane,
occasionally damage beehives in search of honey, and will readily
become habituated to human garbage when the opportunity
exists.
Black bears are very intelligent, shy and secretive
animals, and generally work hard to avoid contact with humans.
Dangerous situations may occur whenever close human activity is
perceived as a danger to cubs or otherwise threatening. The best
advice is for humans to avoid close contact with bears.
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