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Discover Nature: Be Bear Aware

A black bear sits by her cubs in a wooded area with green foliage and dappled shade.
Black bears are native to Missouri and are making a comeback, thanks to concerted conservation efforts. In the spring, black bears emerge from winter dens and feed heavily on green vegetation to re-start their digestive systems.

Wildflowers and warm weather signify the arrival of spring in Missouri… and one of the state’s largest, heaviest wild mammals enjoys the season as much as we do.

This week on Discover Nature, we recognize May as National Bear Awareness Month.  

Black bears mate now through June, but reproductive development pauses for 6-to-7 months, until bears enter hibernation.  Mother bears birth litters of two to three cubs in January and February, sometimes while the mother still sleeps.  

Black bears are opportunistic omnivores, but as they emerge in spring, they feed heavily on green vegetation to restart their digestive system.  

Bears rarely pose a threat to people until they lose their natural fear of humans.  Feeding bears – either intentionally or unintentionally – can cause them to associate people with food, making them dangerous.  

Learn more about Missouri’s native black bears with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) online Field Guide, and learn how to stay safe in bear country with MDC’s online Be Bear Aware Guide.   

Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Kyle Felling’s work at KBIA spans more than three decades. In 2025, he became KBIA and KMUC's Station Manager. He began volunteering at the station while he was a Political Science student at the University of Missouri. After being hired as a full-time announcer, he served as the long-time local host of NPR’s All Things Considered on KBIA, and was Music Director for a number of years. Starting in 2010, Kyle became KBIA’s Program Director, overseeing on-air programming and operations while training and supervising the station’s on-air staff. During that period, KBIA regularly ranked among the top stations in the Columbia market, and among the most listened to stations in the country. He was instrumental in the launch of KBIA’s sister station, Classical 90.5 FM in 2015, and helped to build it into a strong community resource for classical music. Kyle has also worked as an instructor in the MU School of Journalism, training the next generation of journalists and strategic communicators. In his spare time, he enjoys playing competitive pinball, reading comic books and Joan Didion, watching the Kansas City Chiefs, and listening to Bruce Springsteen and the legendary E Street Band.
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