Do black bears live by themselves or in groups?
In general, bears are the most solitary of all carnivores. Black bears are not exclusively loners, however. The bond between mother and cubs and among siblings is particularly strong until she again comes into heat and the yearling bears disperse. Some newly independent yearlings may remain together briefly. Black bears will also tolerate each other’s presence at concentrated food sources such as open dumps, corn fields, or berry patches. In New Jersey, 13 bears were observed simultaneously at a backyard feeding site. Black bears are keenly aware of other bears nearby and communicate by sound, scent, or by marking trees. These actions may conceivably convey sex, reproductive status, hierarchy, identity, and other information, even though the animals are not in immediate contact. Overlapping home ranges are common in areas of abundant foods but bears may be territorial in areas where foods are scarce. Denning may restrict the development of social behavior by limiting the bears’ active
