How Mother Bears Raise and Protect Their Cubs
What You'll Learn
In this lesson you will learn: - How tiny bear cubs are born and what they look like - How mama bears keep their cubs warm, fed, and safe - How cubs learn by watching their mother - Why animal moms are so important for survival
Did you know that a newborn black bear cub is smaller than a can of soda? It weighs only about 8 ounces when it is born — that is less than a big apple! Even though adult bears can weigh 300 pounds, their babies start out tiny and helpless.
Born in a Winter Den
Mother bears give birth in January or February while they are hibernating in a cozy den. The den might be a hollow log, a cave, or a dug-out hole under a big tree root. The cubs are born with their eyes closed and almost no fur. They cannot walk or eat solid food. They snuggle close to their mama to stay warm and drink her milk. By spring, when the family comes out of the den, the cubs weigh about 5 pounds and are ready to explore the world!
How Mama Keeps Cubs Safe
A mother bear is called a sow. She is one of the most protective animal moms in the forest. She will growl, stand up tall, or even charge at animals that get too close to her babies. When danger is near, the mama bear makes a special huffing sound. The cubs have learned what that sound means — it tells them to climb up a tree fast and wait until she says it is safe to come down. Cubs are very good climbers!
Learning by Watching Mom
Cubs stay with their mother for about 18 months. In that time, she teaches them everything they need to know to live on their own. She shows them which berries are safe to eat, how to flip over logs to find ants and grubs, and how to fish for salmon in a river. This kind of learning by watching a parent is called observational learning. It is one of the most important ways animals pass on survival skills.
Bear cubs make a sound called a moan or hum when they nurse and feel happy — a bit like a purr! Scientists think it helps the mother bond with her babies.
Match each bear word to what it means.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
About how much does a newborn black bear cub weigh?
What does a mother bear's huffing sound tell her cubs?
Draw a Bear Family Timeline
Get a blank piece of paper and draw a long line from left to right. Write 'January' on the left end and 'Spring' in the middle. 1. On the January side, draw a tiny cub inside a dark den. Write '8 ounces' next to it. 2. In the middle, draw the mother and cub coming out of the den. Write '5 pounds' next to the cub. 3. On the right side, draw the cub watching its mother catch a fish or pick berries. Below each drawing, write one sentence about what the cub is learning or doing at that time. Share your timeline with a classmate and explain what happens at each step.
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