Re: Fast-Food Nation TakesToll on Black Bears

COACH POTATO BEARS GAINING WEIGHT

By Alex Cukan - United Press International
Nov.28, 2003

Black bears living in and around urban areas don't get enough exercise and
weigh up to 30 percent more than bears living in wild areas.

A study by the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society says black bears
are spending less time hunting for food, such as berries, fish and small
animals.

Instead, the bears are choosing to forage behind fast-food restaurants,
shopping centers and suburban homes, often eating their fill.

"They're hitting the local dumpster for dinner, then calling it a day," says
biologist Dr. Jon Beckmann, the lead author of the study, published in the
Journal of Zoology.

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20031128-025219-5891r.htm