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.