Black bears demonstrate counting abilities
A study led by Dr Jennifer Vonk, assistant professor in psychology at Oakland University, has shown that black bears have demonstrated counting abilities.
The number-based tests carried out in the study involved three captive bears. One bear was rewarded for touching the screen with a greater number of dots, and for the other two bears, a correct answer was an array with a fewer number of dots. If the correct answer was chosen they were rewarded with food. Dr Vonk explained that they were looking to see whether the bears understood to choose less or choose more.
In another test the team varied the pattern of the dots and the shaded area on which they were shown, and in some tests the dots were also moving. The team wanted to ensure that the animals were not merely estimating magnitude, a skill that has been shown by many animals.
Although the study found that bears did better when the size of the area corresponded to the number of dots, they also found that the bears were capable of compensating for an area that was smaller or larger than normal for the number of dots it contained.
Dr Vonk said: "If there's more dots and less area covered - it's a better indication that they actually do something analogous to counting rather than just estimating the amount of something.”
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.
