Yearling Black Bear Cub

The spring trainees caught a glimpse of this Yearling Black Bear (Ursus americanus) crossing Hawk Mountain Road this afternoon! The young bear only lingered long enough for them to capture this obscure photo as it hurriedly made its way back into the cover of trees. Yearlings describe a bear cub between the ages of one and two years old. By one year old, black bear cubs weigh approximately 80-100 pounds and travel in a group with their siblings and mother. During this time, the mother bear will teach them the general life skills they need to survive on their own. They remain in this family group for about 17 months until the mother is ready to mate again and chases them away. This cub likely has a few more months of learning from mom.

Photo by Elizabeth Zink.