Who's eating out of the bird feeders?

A 5-foot-tall black bear was caught eating from bird feeders in Gautier, MS, which is located along the Mississippi Sound of the Gulf of Mexico. A resident reported to the MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, that he had watched a 5-foot-tall bear come into his yard late at night or early in the morning. The resident became concern after the bear began lying down and just hanging around in the yard. The homeowner removed the bird feeders in an attempt to discourage the bear from entering his yard. He said, "That didn't work, and he would just walk up in the yard and lay in the grass." The bear was about 3 years old. The bear was caught and sedated and relocated. That's a very hungry bear in our simple outdoors!

American Black Bears are large, mostly harmless bears that live mostly in forests, but also in swamps and desert scrub. These solitary mammals are found across North America.

Anatomy: American Black Bears are up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long and weigh up to 300 pounds (135 kg). Their long, thick fur ranges in color from black to brown. Like all bears, they are plantigrade (flat-footed). The front claws are longer than the rear claws.

Behavior: Black Bears are good swimmers and can also climb trees. They have a good sense of smell but have poor eyesight. They are afraid of Grizzly Bears and stay far away from them.

Cubs: Two to three cubs are born during the winter while the mother hibernates. Cubs stay with the mother for about one year.

Diet: American Black Bears are omnivores who eat plants, leaves, fruits, berries, nuts, roots, honey, insects, and other small mammals.

Classification: Class Mammalia, Order Carnivora, Family Ursidae (bears), Genus Ursus, species americanus.