ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Have you ever wondered what a typical day is in the life of a black bear?

In the final segment of Bear Week, News 13’s Taylor Thompson sat down with a black bear biologist to discuss what this looks like.

North Carolina Wildlife Black Bear Biologist Jenna Malzahn said bears have a great sense of smell that is about seven times better than a bloodhound.

She said that the bulk of a bear’s day is spent searching for food. A bear’s hunt for a meal starts early, as they typically leave their den before daybreak.

BEARS ON THE MOVE: COALITION PUSHES FOR MORE SAFE PASSAGE FOR WILDLIFE

“Bears are generally more active around dusk or dawn,” Malzahn said.

Malzahn said it can be slow at first, but a bear’s activity increases throughout the day. She added that bears are eager to start looking for food, especially because they have been in hibernation for the last several months.

This time of year consists of many greens, like vegetation and roots. But Malzahn said that sometimes bears look for food beyond that.

“Some bears that are probably a little closer to civilization may start by looking at bird feeders. That’s why this time of year, we’re like, ‘Make sure you keep your bird feeders away,'” she said.

Malzahn added that bird feed is a high-calorie snack that a bear would love, but a bear should never become used to a human feeding them.

BEARWISE BASICS: HOW TO COEXIST WITH THE GROWING BLACK BEAR POPULATION IN WNC

“Wildly, they’ll just kind of walk around looking for vegetation and roots, and as the summer goes on, they’ll kind of switch to getting some more insects, some berries,” Malzahn added.

If a bear isn’t on the hunt for food, it is likely to be on the hunt for something else; summertime is breeding season for the bears, according to Malzahn.

Overall, much of the day depends on the type of black bear.

If it’s a female bear, Malzahn said that she will be teaching her cubs how to climb trees and find food. Or, if a mother bear is coming out of the den with cubs that she’s had for a certain amount of time, she will start distancing herself from them.

HURRICANE HELENE LEFT REGIONAL BEAR POPULATION LARGELY UNFAZED, EXPERT SAYS

But overall, the main element of a bear’s day is spent searching for food and roaming as they navigate different areas to be able to sustain themselves.

During the spring and summertime, Malzahn said that bears will generally eat about 5,000 calories a day.

But, as fall rolls around and a bear’s diet switches to hard mass foods like acorns, bears will begin to eat around 20,000 calories a day. This is because the bears enter a state of hyperphagia where they eat more to bulk up for hibernation.

Then, as the warmer weather emerges again in the spring, the process for the black bear begins again.