A trio of black bear cubs born in the Mentone, Alabama, area could help researchers understand more about how they live and move as they grow into adults.
The Northeast Alabama population of black bears is doing very well and growing, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources state wildlife grants coordinator Traci Wood said Tuesday in an email.
“We are seeing that they are producing large litters, usually of two or three, and the cubs are very healthy and recruiting into the population,” Wood said.
The three cubs were among nearly 20 recently collared by a team of biologists and researchers working on a study funded by state wildlife grants to monitor the black bear populations in Alabama, according to state officials. In its fourth year, the study takes a look at cub survival and den habitat.
The cubs’ mother was collared last summer along with a number of other black bear sows, Wood said.