About Bear

PROTECTION IN ESTONIA: The bear is not a protected species in Estonia.

HABITAT: Bears primarily inhabit large forested areas. Their range extends to the tundra in the north. They need some dense vegetation in open landscapes to hide during the day. Typically, they live in remote, hard-to-access forests. In winter, bears hibernate in dens or caves, which they line with branches, moss, or other dried plant materials. They may build several such nests before winter. The typical volume of a hibernation chamber is about 2 m³.

LIFESTYLE: Bears are primarily nocturnal and usually only move during the day if disturbed. In autumn, when berries are ripe, they may be seen more frequently during the day. Bears generally travel about 2-3.5 km per day; their walking speed is 5-6 km/h, trotting speed is 10-12 km/h, and running speed is 22-51 km/h. Adult males have larger home ranges. Bears are typically solitary, but a rich food source can attract many bears to the same area. Female bears may live together in the same home range, while males are solitary but have territories that overlap with those of several females and other males. Males may fight over females during the mating season. Bears may stand on their hind legs to assess rivals or explore their surroundings. They communicate through vocalizations: growling or whining when angry or scared, and calling cubs with a "mumble." Scent marking and tree scraping, scratching, and rubbing are also common behaviors.

Bear is not a protected species in Estonia.

CONFUSION WITH OTHER SPECIES: In Estonia, the bear is unlikely to be confused with other animals, except perhaps from a distance with a large, dark-colored wild boar.

POPULATION IN ESTONIA: In 2023, the bear population in Estonia was estimated at 1150 individuals.

LIFESPAN: Bears typically live 20-30 years in the wild. Mortality is particularly high among cubs under one year old, and cannibalism can occur.

REPRODUCTION: Bears mate from May to July. Cubs are usually born in January-February, and they reach sexual maturity at around 5 years old. The gestation period lasts 210-255 days. Litters usually consist of 1-3 cubs but can be up to 5, with twins being common. Cubs are born about the size of a squirrel, blind, hairless, and weigh about 400-600 g. They remain in the den for about 4 months and then live with their mother for 1.5-3.5 years. They wean off their mother's milk at about 1.5 years old.

DIET: Bears eat berries, herbs, carrion, insects, roots, and occasionally moose, sheep, or cattle. In autumn, before hibernation, they consume large quantities of berries, acorns, or oats from fields.

ENEMIES: Humans are the main threat to bears, through activities such as overhunting, traffic (cars), deforestation, and other similar actions.

INTRESTING OBSERVATIONS:

• Bears have a highly developed sense of smell and hearing but poor eyesight.

• The bear's top speed is 50-60 km/h.

• Over the past 50 years, bear populations have increased across all European populations.

• The age of a bear can be estimated by the size of its hind paw tracks: cubs 9-18 months old have tracks 13-14.5 cm long, 2.5-year-olds have tracks 16 cm, 3.5-4.5-year-olds have tracks 18-19.5 cm, and about 5-year-olds can have tracks up to 22 cm; large, old males may have tracks up to 30 cm long.

• Bear droppings often contain a lot of undigested food remains, especially plant material.

• Bear activity signs include digging marks, scraped rotten wood, overturned rocks, scratched tree trunks, and rubbed bark. When a bear uses a den, the vegetation within a 1-2 meter radius of the den may be flattened, or the soil may be compacted.

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