Hello! Thanks for checking in on this week’s story about black bears and their love of dandelions.
I spent a week camping in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. It is one of my favourite places in the NWT because it is teeming with wildlife and is in close proximity to Wood Buffalo National Park.
I spotted at least five bears while exploring the area however, I didn’t catch sight of any cubs. The bear you see in the feature photo below is likely around 2-3 years old and it is probably his or her first year on their own. It was pretty easy to spot the bears as they were usually hunkered down in a patch of dandelions. It was still a bit too early for berries but the saskatoons, raspberries and gooseberries should be ready within just a couple of weeks.
Bears seem particularly fond of the flowers, stems and leaves. I watched this one eat and eat and eat, finally lying down in the grass and grazing through the field of flowers along the shoulder of the highway.
As many of you already know, all parts of the dandelion are edible; the flower, leaves, and taproot are all nutritious. Dandelion greens are an excellent source of vitamin A, folate, vitamin K, and vitamin C and a good source of calcium and potassium. Looks like bears are healthy eaters!
Many people think that bears are strictly carnivores but this is a myth that contributes to fear and misunderstanding. Black bears are omnivores and the majority of their diet is made up of plant material. The majority of the protein in their diet comes from insects and not from children. 
Bears are opportunistic eaters and will eat what is available and easy to get to. In years where natural food is scarce, bears are lured to urban areas by the scent of garbage, ripe fruit, and grease. Sadly this often means they arrive in our neighbourhoods for the literal low hanging fruit on our decorative fruit trees or inside our garbage bins where last night’s grilled cheese calls out like a free prime rib buffet.
In spring, bears feed on willow catkins, grasses, dandelions, clover, and aspen leaves. Leaves and flowers are preferred when they are highest in protein content (shortly after leaf burst or flowering). Important sources of protein in the spring may include newborn moose calves or deer fawns, or spawning fish if there is an opportunity.
In summer, ants, wasps, and bumblebees provide major protein sources when bears open their colonies or nests and eat the insects and larvae. They also eat currants, strawberries, raspberries, pin cherries, chokecherries, blueberries, and gooseberries as well as other fruits as they ripen throughout the summer. In the fall, pinenuts and mountain ash berries are staples.
Two things I hope you will take away from today’s article
1. Bears won’t eat your kids or dog because they are hungry*
2. Inadvertently feeding bears will lead to their death and possibly the death of their cubs as well. Keep your BBQ clean. Pick the fruit from your trees (donate it to a food bank if you don’t want it). Don’t leave pet food outside. Rinse out your garbage cans if they smell. Take down your bird feeder in the summer. All of these small actions can help save a bear or three.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed this week’s story. As always feel free to like and share!