The Social Black Bear talk with Ben Kilham at the Loon Center

MOULTONBOROUGH — On Thursday, July 18, discover the world of the

black bear with Ben Kilham, Ph.D, as he presents The Social Black Bear: What Bears Have Taught Me About Being Human. Black bears, thought to be

solitary, have a different type of social behavior that parallels early human behavior. They show evidence of reciprocal altruism, matri-linear hierarchy, and a mix of intentional and emotional communication. Bears can live for as many as 40 years, which allows them long-term benefits from forming relationships with fellow cooperators.

Kilham is a wildlife biologist based in Lyme. He has studied their habits

and interacted with them for more than two decades. He, his wife Debra and

sister Phoebe have accepted orphaned bear cubs into their home and enabled

them to successfully return to the wild. Kilham has been the focus of several

news articles and documentaries, including National Geographic’s 'A Man

Among Bears and Animal Planet’s Papa Bear.' He is also author of the books

'Among the Bears: Raising Orphaned Cubs in the Wild' and 'Out on a Limb:

Origins of Intuition and Intelligence.'

Held at The Loon Center, Summer Nature Talks are presented every Thursday evening at 7 p.m. in July and August. All programs have free admission.

On Thursday, July 25, the Squam Lakes Nature Science Center will present

Creatures of the Night with the help of some live animals.

For more information, call 603-476-5666. For the full 2019 nature talks schedule, visit www.loon.org.