Black bears are known for their tree climbing abilities. Strong, curved claws help them climb with agility, returning back down with their rear legs in the lead. While it seems so inherent to the animals, it’s a behavior that they learn at a young age.
According to BEAR League, black bears learn to get up trees about a week before the end of their den cycle. A camera monitoring bear cubs Ellis and Rubicon captured one of their first climbing lessons with their mother, Rose. The extremely rare footage shows the cubs working their way up the tree in addition to their mother’s vocalizations coaxing them along.
“Once the cubs learn how to get up a tree, it’s usually a good predictor of about a week left in their den cycle. So we’re especially enjoying these last few days with Rose, Rubicon and Ellis.” – BEAR League
BEAR League has been monitoring the family throughout the winter. The cubs were learning to climb even before leaving their den, practicing on the pipes under the house that they’ve lived below for the past several months. You can learn more about the 2025 cub cams here and watch plenty more clips from the camera on the BEAR League Facebook.
