Wildlife Biologists | Studying Black Bears in the Wild

Binoculars, a scale, and a microscope. What do these three things have in common? They’re all tools that wildlife biologist use to study black bears! When they observe bears from far away, they can use binoculars, cameras and video recorders to watch and document bear behavior. If you want to know what that’s like, be sure to use the video camera at the Museum to observe our bears.

When biologists need to get close to a bear, things get a little more complicated. To keep both the bears and the people studying them safe, it’s best that the bear is sleepy during the encounter. Biologists put an anesthetic in a dart and tranquilize the bear from a safe distance.

Once the bear is sleepy, the scientists go to work. They can use medical equipment to take a blood sample or give the bear medicine if it’s sick. They measure the bear’s size and weight with tape measures and a scale they hang right from a tree. They can place ear tags on the bear, which are earrings that identify the bear if it’s found again. They can also put on a radio collar so they can track the bear by following the radio signal. This way they can study the bear’s movements without disturbing it.

When the bear wakes up, it wanders off and goes about its business. Then the scientists head back to the lab, where they use computers to chart the measurements they took. They also use microscopes and biochemistry equipment to check the bear’s blood samples. All of these tools help wildlife biologists do their jobs.