Spring arrives and it's time to leave the den. The young have grown five to ten pounds and will stay with mom for about eighteen months. During this time, they will learn the skills necessary to survive. Cubs continue nursing as they begin foraging. Bears are opportunists and take advantage of what is available.
Spring offers grasses, flowers, and other vegetation.
As summer approaches, berries, ants, and termites are added to their diet. With the arrival of fall, the drive to eat nuts and other foods high in important fats and calories increases. At this point bears may eat 20,000 calories a day. Habituated bears live according to a human cycle. After leaving their dens in spring, they head for the nearest garbage cans, and eat food left accessible by people.