NorthAmerican black bears are shy animals. They are fearful by nature, and willusually run away if they see or hear people. Because of this, it can bedifficult for scientists to learn about these animals.
Inorder to study black bears, researchers from New Jersey, the USA, catch bearsand use drugs to help them go to sleep. Researchers then work out the size andthe weight of the bear, take blood to test for diseases, remove a toothand take it to the lab to find out its age. From these studies, researcherswant to find out how many bears live in New Jersey, how long they live, and howmany babies they produce.
Butin Minnesota, the USA, researchers study bears that are completely awake. Thebears know the researchers' voices and they are not afraid of the researchteam. With the help of a few grapes to keep the bears busy, researchers cantouch them to check their hearts, look at their teeth, and do other jobs.Researchers can also walk or sit with bears for hours and make videos to learnabout their everyday lives.
Inboth places, the main purpose is the same—to make sure there is a healthypopulation of black bears. But the research methods and the kinds ofinformation that researchers are able to collect are quite different.
