Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia are studying the status of black bears in Missouri. Black bears were abundant in the state during the 18th and 19th centuries, but have been considered almost extinct in Missouri since the late 19th century. The results of the MU study will be used by the Missouri Department of Conservation to help manage Missouri's black bear population.

A fascinating new study from the May/June 2007 issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology quantifiably measures the loss of strength and endurance in black bears during long periods of hibernation. T.D. Lohuis (Alaska Department of Fish and Game) and his coauthors find that black bears in hibernation lose about one-half as much skeletal muscle strength as humans confined to bed rest for similar periods of time do.