It's February and the next generation of Missouri black bears is arriving in dens throughout the wooded hills of the Ozarks. How many are out there remains uncertain but their numbers are surely increasing; indeed, more than 3000 black bears inhabit Arkansas (see below) and it is reasonable to believe that at least 300 have spread into Missouri.
Native to Missouri, black bears were thought to have been extirpated from the State by the 1940s, primarily due to overhunting and habitat loss. Then, Arkansas initiated a black bear reintroduction program (importing 256 bears from Canada and Minnesota during the period from1958-1968); since that time, the bears have gradually expanded their range into southern Missouri. Ongoing studies, conducted by the Missouri Department of Conservation, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the University of Missouri, indicate that Missouri's black bear population is concentrated in the Ozarks (especially south of I-44) though individual sightings have been documented throughout much of the State. In recent years, Missouri black bear research has included DNA analysis and, contrary to past assumptions, this data suggests that a small native population managed to survive, having since bred with the Arkansas immigrants.
Mother bears will emerge with their cubs (usually 2 or 3) in April; females without cubs mate by late spring but implantation of the fertilized eggs is delayed until autumn and, as noted above, the cubs are born in February. Black bears (25% of which are actually brown in the Ozark population) are naturally wary of humans and will avoid contact whenever possible; however, they are attracted to hives, food-containing compost and edible garbage; homeowners and campers are advised to bear-proof such sites and to never feed bears or encourage their visits. Mothers with cubs are especially dangerous though, to date, black bear attacks on humans have not been reported in Missouri.
