MAMMALS OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 



83 



I ■ -'.i.- rr* 



SIERRA BLACK BEAR 



Museum of Vertebrate Zoology 



life of black bears in the wild. In cap- bage fed" bear was found to weigh 680 



tivity, bears often live 2> years or more. pounds, which, according to all available 



According to old-time rangers, individ- data, is a record for California, 



ual bears in Yosemite are known to have In late summer and fall bears eat un- 



appeared for 15 consecutive years. Most usually heavily in order to build up 



females have their first young when heavy layers of fat necessary to carry 



three or four years old. Full growth is them through their winter "sleep." With 



not attained, however, until the sixth the first heavy storm of winter most 



or seventh year. bears go into hibernation. The den is usu- 



Live trapping of park bears is some- ally a sheltered cave among the rocks, 

 times practiced in areas where bears are or a hollow tree. They remain until late 

 prone to raid food supplies. This is ac- March or early April, depending on the 

 complished in a humane manner through severity of the winter. They hibernate 

 the use of a large, iron cylinder, mounted alone, except where cubs of the year oc- 

 <>n trailer wheels. There is a trap door cupy the den with the mother, 

 in one end, and the bear is enticed into As a rule, bears do not eat or drink 

 the trap by bait. The trailer can then be during the hibernation period. The break- 

 coupled to a car and transported to a ing down of the fatty tissues built up 

 more remote spot in the park where the during the previous fall sustains life, 

 bear is released/ 1 ' However, they have been observed out- 



In 193 8, a very large male bear was side their dens during mild winters. Sev- 



captured in the above manner. This "gar- eral observations recorded by Yosemite 



* The material on bears is largely an abridgement of "Bears of Yosemite" by M. E. Beatty, Yosemite 

 Nature Notes 22 (I). January 1945. Mr. Beatty is now (June 1952) Chief Naturalist in Glacier 

 National Park. 



