Experts from The Get Bear Smart Society said that the clip not only captures “unusual” scenes but is also extremely rare, because the black bear caught the rabbit right from the first steps. fairy.

Black bears are the most common bear species in North America and have the widest distribution, including most of Canada except the prairies, Prince Edward Island, parts of the United States and northern Mexico.

They usually live in mainly forested areas, but leave the forest to search for food. Sometimes they invade residential communities and dig through garbage to find leftover food.

Although they live in North America, American black bears are not closely related to brown bears and polar bears; Genetic research shows they split from a common ancestor about 5.05 million years ago.

The American black bear and the Asiatic black bear (black bear) are considered more closely related species to each other than to other bear species.

In the past, North American black bears occupied most of the forest areas in North America. Currently, they are restricted mainly to quiet forest areas.

Black bear weight tends to vary with age, sex, health and season. Among them, seasonal weight changes are the most obvious. In the fall, black bears’ pre-hibernation weight tends to be 30% higher than in the spring, when the animals come out of their dens.

Black bears on the East Coast tend to be heavier on average than bears on the West Coast, and bears on the Northwest tend to be slightly heavier than bears on the Southeast. Adult males typically weigh between 57 – 250 kg, while females are 33% lighter at around 41 – 170 kg.

Although black bears are the smallest bear species in North America, the largest males can exceed the size of other bear species, except brown bears and polar bears. The largest wild North American black bear ever recorded was a male in New Brunswick, shot in October 1972, weighing 409 kg.

Due to living habits and reduced numbers, encountering a black bear hunting is very rare. But that’s exactly what Daniel Michael Bunter witnessed with his own eyes when driving through Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

That day, around 10 a.m., Daniel was on his way to work. When he passed a bus stop on Highway 99, near the turn into the Whistler area, he saw a black bear “speed racing” with a black bear. rabbit.

“Initially, we discovered the black bear and decided to get closer to observe. When we arrived, I realized the bear was not going for a walk, but was putting all its effort into chasing an animal. rabbit.

No one thought that the bear could catch its prey because the rabbit’s moving speed was very fast. Suddenly, the rabbit slipped and was caught by the bear. Then the predator ran straight. into the forest, perhaps to enjoy a hard-earned meal,” Daniel recounted.

Ms. Sylvia Dolson, CEO of The Get Bear Smart Society, said that the clip not only captures “unusual” scenes but is also extremely rare, because the black bear caught the rabbit right from the start. first run.

Despite its reputation as a carnivore, black bears’ daily food is mainly plants. Therefore, they rarely catch rabbits.