Bears

Bears were large and ferocious animals, notorious for their love of honey.
== History ==
There were bears in the Second Age, in Númenor, and were either of black or brown variety. Like all the animals in the isle, they were friendly, although they did not like to be disturbed. They lived in mountains or rocky areas, far from humans, but often came to visit houses and were given honey. Specifically, the black bears had "bear-dances", which they performed for the delight of Men, and sometimes Men instructed and improved them in their dances. The most famous one was the Great Bear-dance, performed annually.
Bears lived in the Misty Mountains for some time, though by the late Third Age, their number had diminished. Gandalf told Bilbo that giants had taken up their homes in that mountain range. One of the alleged origins of Beorn, the skin changer, was that he had descended from them.