LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT/Edited News Release) – Flowers are blooming, days are growing longer, and Arkansas bears are on the move. Each spring, young black bears emerge from their dens and strike out to find new territories. While sightings of these misguided youths certainly grab the attention of people living in neighborhoods bordering bear country, they often move on as long as people don’t give them a reason to stay.
Bears are part of Arkansas and have been since before the state was settled. In fact, Arkansas once was so rich with black bears that its unofficial nickname was “The Bear State.” Unrestricted hunting for their fur and fat led to the bear’s rapid decline by the early 1900s. Thanks to the efforts of conservationists and biologists with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas again has bears throughout much of the state in the areas they once roamed. Understanding how to coexist with these animals starts with a quick look at bear biology.
Unlike deer, which reproduce each year they are mature, female bears only have cubs every other year, spending two winters with their cubs. The cubs are newborns during their first den cycle, then they spend the whole year learning how to be a bear and overwinter once more as yearlings. At the end of this denning cycle, young females are allowed to stay in a portion of their mother’s territory, but the young males are forced away to find a new home…