The study observed associations between abundant availability of plant edibles and bears eating them. This was associated with eating less meat.
And the opposite was found to be associated. Lack of vegetation lead to increase hunting, actually measured as consumption via feces.
Bears being omnivores, this isn’t surprising. Bears being lazy, will choose prioritize desirable plants (or sometimes honey, or likely increasing amounts of garbage, and road kill) over hunting.
The title seems to be a stretch and a prediction unsupported by the evidence.
Yeah and if you’re only measuring what’s in the poop, then you don’t know how they actually acquired it, so they could be eating garbage or roadkill or whatever. Which is scavenging not hunting.
Bears are not great hunters. They are highly opportunistic omnivores. They’re nothing like big cats or sharks. They’re not obligate carnivores, and it appears they really don’t want to be because bears love vegetation if you don’t know. But they’ll also eat meat if it’s easily and readily available.
And I imagine if you gave them a choice between the two that they would probably prefer meat most of the time. Especially if they didn’t have to endanger themselves to get it.
It seems like the author recognizes most of what you wrote, the title even contradicts some of their own conclusions:
The point is not that every bear will become a near-herbivore. Local conditions still rule, and some populations will remain more carnivorous, especially where the growing season stays short.
Odd title.
The study observed associations between abundant availability of plant edibles and bears eating them. This was associated with eating less meat.
And the opposite was found to be associated. Lack of vegetation lead to increase hunting, actually measured as consumption via feces.
Bears being omnivores, this isn’t surprising. Bears being lazy, will choose prioritize desirable plants (or sometimes honey, or likely increasing amounts of garbage, and road kill) over hunting.
The title seems to be a stretch and a prediction unsupported by the evidence.
I literally couldn’t understand the title until I read your comment then reread the title 3 times
Yeah and if you’re only measuring what’s in the poop, then you don’t know how they actually acquired it, so they could be eating garbage or roadkill or whatever. Which is scavenging not hunting.
Bears are not great hunters. They are highly opportunistic omnivores. They’re nothing like big cats or sharks. They’re not obligate carnivores, and it appears they really don’t want to be because bears love vegetation if you don’t know. But they’ll also eat meat if it’s easily and readily available.
And I imagine if you gave them a choice between the two that they would probably prefer meat most of the time. Especially if they didn’t have to endanger themselves to get it.
It seems like the author recognizes most of what you wrote, the title even contradicts some of their own conclusions: