A female bear usually has two cubs at a time, but the number may vary from one to four. Their eyes are closed, and they have no fur. The eyes open about a month after birth, and by that time the body is covered with thick, soft fur. The cubs stay in the den with their mother for about two months. In spring, they come out, frisky and playful.
Cubs stay with the mother for one or two years.
She teaches them to hunt for food. Bears are meat-eating animals, but they also eat many other kinds of food. They hunt mice, ground squirrels, and other small animals in fields and forests. They may wade into streams and catch fish with their front paws or strong jaws. Bears sometimes prey on livestock, especially lambs and young pigs.