Hi, All!

This item was in today's paper.  It is in the regular column, EarthWeek: A 
diary of the planet.  It shows that some effects of diet are the same in 
non-human species as in humans.

Jane
Tucson, AZ  USA

        www.earthweek.com/Earthweek.pdf

Lazy Urban Bears
A new study published in the Journal of Zoology reveals that black bears 
living in and around urban areas are up to a third less active and weigh up 
to thirty percent more than their wilderness counterparts.  According to 
scientists from the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society, the 
metropolitan omnivores are abandoning their natural diets, which can range 
from berries to adult deer, for the convenience of fast-food cuisine. The 
bears choose to forage through dumpsters behind restaurants, shopping 
centers, and suburban homes, allowing them to eat their fill in far less 
time than it would take to forage or hunt down prey. The authors of the 
study recommend that local governments mandate bear-proof garbage 
containers for homes and business to prevent the bears from becoming 
dependent on humans for food.

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©2003 Earth Environment Service
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet
By Steve Newman
For the week ending
November 28, 2003