Bear News – JULY 20th 2025

This week’s news: Bear fur and shedding along with bear weights.

Lucky bear- 405 lbs. Holly bear- 278 lbs. & Tasha bear- 338 lbs. I’m very pleased with the bear weights and the bears seem more energetic.

Black bears come in more colors than any other North American mammal. They can be black, brown, cinnamon, blond, blue-gray, or white. The dominant color in Minnesota is black with some white markings. The cinnamon phase occurs only in about 5% of the bears in Minnesota.

Black bears have two kinds of fur; visible guard hairs about 3 inches long and, in winter, a layer of fine underfur so dense that water can scarcely penetrate it. The underfur is so insulative that bears in the open become covered with snow when ambient temperatures are colder than about 18 F (-8 C). The exact temperature at which snow accumulates varies with individuals. Some bears have longer, denser fur than others. Body temperature also varies from one bear to the next. During hibernation, fat bears usually maintain body temperatures between 95 and 99 F, while skinny bears reduce body temperatures to as low as 88 to ration fat.

Guard hairs act as insulators, but are primarily the “outer shell” of the bear hide. They are designed to protect the under fur from becoming soiled. The guard hairs help repel water. When wet and then shaken, much like a dog, the skin becomes almost totally dry.

The black bear sheds its coat midsummer and grows new under fur before hibernation.

A short explanation of a single bear hair. The cuticle is the outside protection, the cortex is the inside of the shaft and the medulla is the identifying faction in bear species.

During the past couple weeks the bears have been introduced to new enrichments. The bear safe containers Lucky enjoyed playing with and frozen mystery treats with peanut butter and assorted fruit. The frozen bear sickles are their favorites. Your contributions from the Amazon wishlist help us completely. Our intern Chloe is creating a special bear diet cookbook as her intern project.

Thank-you for all you do in supporting the bears. To continue your support you may want to visit our Amazon wishlist@ https://bear.org/support-us/amazon-wishlist-2/

Thank-you,

Sharon Herrell, Sr. Bear Keeper