2014-Apr-09
DID U KNOW?
BLACK BEARS (Ursus americanus)
There are between 75,000 & 100,000 black bears living in Ontario. Black bears are an important component of the province’s ecosystem as keystone species, predators of juvenile deer and moose, and competitors with other species.
Black bears have one of the lowest rates of reproduction of any land mammal in North America. Female bears have a very late age of reproductive maturity, having their first litter when they are 5 to 7 years old. They bear only 2 to 3 cubs per litter and reproduce once every 2 years max.
In 2009 (the latest published numbers); the Ministry of Natural Resources reported 6,200 black bears killed in the annual hunt in Ontario.
As you return to your place around the Bay, pause to admire and understand the black bear giving them the respect they deserve.
