Quick Take
- Something just off-camera sent all six cubs straight up the trunk, and whatever it was left the bears with no interest in waiting around to find out. See the scramble →
- Black bears can weigh hundreds of pounds and still outclimb most things chasing them, and the reason comes down to a very specific physical difference from their grizzly cousins. See the climbing advantage →
- The list of natural predators a cub faces is longer and more surprising than most people expect. Discover the predators →
- Black bears can eat the caloric equivalent of something you'd order for delivery every single day, and that number gets even wilder in fall. Explore their diet needs →
Black bear cubs may be small compared with the adults they eventually become, but they are already remarkably good climbers. When something makes them feel threatened, getting off the ground can be one of their quickest escape routes. That is exactly what happens in the video above, when a group of cubs suddenly bolts up a tree with surprising speed.
Bear Cubs Speed Running Up a Tree
As the video begins, we see six little bear cubs gathered in a dense forest. A few are perched on a fallen log, and all of them seem focused on something outside the frame. For a moment, they barely move.
Then something changes. Almost simultaneously, the cubs turn and scramble straight up a nearby tree. Black bears are excellent climbers, but seeing several young bears shoot up the trunk at once makes that ability a lot more impressive. Once they reach the branches above, they stop and look back toward whatever caught their attention below.
Why Do Bears Climb Trees?
Black bear cubs typically weigh only about 8 to 12 ounces at birth.
©iStock.com/EEI_Tony
Despite their size, American black bears are exceptional tree climbers. The National Park Service notes that black bears have strong, curved claws that allow them to climb trees with agility. Their claws are relatively short, generally around 1 to 2 inches long, according to Idaho Fish and Game. Grizzly bears, by comparison, have longer and straighter claws that are better suited to digging than climbing.
Black bears climb for both safety and food. The North American black bear (Ursus americanus) has relatively few natural predators once fully grown, but cubs are much more vulnerable. Predators can include mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, grizzly bears, bobcats, and even other black bears. Climbing a tree can give a young bear a quick way to put distance between itself and a potential threat. Adult black bears can weigh hundreds of pounds, and unusually large males can become considerably heavier, but that bulk does not stop them from climbing surprisingly well. Some exceptionally large individuals have approached the extreme weights reported for the species by sources such as PBS Nature.
Trees can also be a food source. Black bears are omnivores, although much of their diet consists of plant material such as berries, fruits, grasses, roots, and nuts, along with insects. They will also eat carrion, fish, rodents, and other animal matter when the opportunity presents itself. Food intake changes dramatically with the season. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says Florida black bears may consume about 5,000 calories per day during summer, roughly the equivalent of two large cheese pizzas. During fall hyperphagia, when bears are preparing for winter, that figure can climb much higher.
We cannot see what triggered the cubs in the video, so there is no way to know whether they spotted a predator, a person, another bear, or something else entirely. What we can see is their response. Within seconds, all six are well above the forest floor, showing exactly why climbing is such a useful skill for a young black bear.
