Video-documentation of true and borderline tool use by wild American black bears

Abstract

Animal tool use has been documented for a variety of wildlife, but few studies have evaluated tool use by bears. We used long-term video data to observe and classify behaviors of wild American black bears (Ursus americanus) in western Montana, USA, during 2012-2022.We present video-documentation of true and borderline tool use by multiple individuals. Six bears (4F:2M) picked up sticks from the bottom of a creek pool and then manipulated the sticks with their forepaws to scratch and/or rub themselves. In addition, one bear manipulated a tree sapling near a cage trap in an apparent attempt to reach hanging food. We identified several parent-offspring relationships among our small sample size of tool users, indicating that tool use behavior may have partially developed via social learning and/or genetic inheritance. Our findings build on the limited research on ursid tool use and demonstrate the value of long-term video data to document wild bear behavior.

Citation

Reynolds-Hogland, Melissa; Ramsey, Alan B.; Muench, Carly; Terkildsen, Kirsten; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Engkjer, Cory; Ramsey, Philip W. 2023. Video-documentation of true and borderline tool use by wild American black bears. Ursus. 34: e3.