Meet Lavern and Shirley
American Black Bear (Urus americanus)
Native Habitat: North America: Alaska east across Canada, most of the US and Northern Mexico
Average Height: 2- 3 ft
Average Weight: 130-500 lbs (Males), 90-330 lbs (Females)
Wild Diet: Omnivores. berries, fruit, insects and grasses. Fish, honeycomb and small mammals also make up a portion of their diet
Fun Fact: Lean bears can run in excess of 30 mph!
Lavern and Shirley came to the zoo as cubs by the WI DNR in May 2012. Their mother has been illegally killed and were in need of home. The zoo became their permanent home in June of 2012, and they have been educating guests through their fun antics ever since. The girls love to take a dip in their pool and any food related enrichment from fruit filled frozen jello to tossing their big blue containers to release their diet.
Black Bears are excellent climbers and capable swimmers. Their life span is approximately 25 years. Females typically give birth every other year and pregnancy lasts around 220 days which includes delayed implantation Mating season peaks in July, with fertilized eggs not implanting until autumn. An average of 2 or 3 nake and blind cubs are then born in January and February and weigh 200 to 450 grams each. They are weaned by 6-8 months, but remain with their mother until about 17 months old (their second winter.)
