In the wild, the black bear was nearly hunted to extinction in Colonial times, but has made a dramatic comeback. There are many black bears living in the hills of Western Massachusetts today. Bears usually avoid humans, but they can become aggressive if provoked. Mothers with their cubs nearby tend to be especially protective. Females commonly weigh a maximum of about 155 pounds, while fully grown males usually weigh approximately 285 pounds.
Cubs weigh about a pound at birth.
In their natural habitat, bears feed mostly on berries, acorns, succulent herbs, fish, carrion and insects. When food is plentiful, however, they can eat as much as 45 pounds of food per day. In the wild, these bears usually live up to 25 years. In captivity they can live as long as 30 years. At the zoo s new exhibit, special two-inch thick glass separates visitors from the bears, rather than steel bars.