70 The Black Bear 



so the later the animal comes out of its retirement. 

 And the cubs are born from six weeks to two months 

 before the mother comes out. 



The little Black Bears, when first born, are absurdly- 

 small and pitifully helpless. Their eyes, like those of 

 puppies and kittens, are shut and do not open for some 

 time. They have no teeth and are almost naked, 

 and although the mother may weigh as much as four 

 hundred pounds or more, the whole litter of cubs does 

 not weigh over a couple of pounds, and single cubs 

 vary from eight to eighteen ounces in weight, accord- 

 ing to the number in the litter. A Black Bear will 

 have all the way from one to four cubs at a time, and 

 four is not at all uncommon. I have never seen but 

 two grizzlies with four cubs, but I have seen a great 

 many Black Bears with that many. Three, however, 

 seems to be the conamon number throughout the Rocky 

 Mountain region. Of course meeting a Black Bear in 

 the woods with only one cub, even in the early spring, 

 does not definitely prove that she only gave birth to 

 one; because the others might have died or have been 

 killed. But the records of Black Bears in captivity 

 show that single cubs are not unknown. 



The young cubs at first are delicate and for a week 

 or two the mother never leaves them, but curls around 

 them and keeps them warm and broods them. They 

 seem, however, to have excellent lungs, for one can 

 hear them whimper if one has located a bear's hiding 



