American Black Bear

American black bears share grizzly hibernation strategy but optimize for coexistence rather than dominance. Where grizzlies are keystone species that shape ecosystems through predation and salmon transport, black bears are subordinate generalists that succeed by avoiding grizzly conflict. Black bears climb trees (grizzlies cannot), eat more vegetation, and retreat from confrontation. Same hibernation, different competitive positioning.

This subordinate strategy has proven remarkably successful. Black bears outnumber grizzlies by roughly 20:1 and occupy far more diverse habitats, including suburban areas where grizzlies cannot persist. By accepting lower position in the competitive hierarchy, black bears avoid the density-dependent constraints that limit grizzly populations. More bears can share territory when none of them need to dominate it.

The business parallel is secondary players that thrive through accommodation rather than competition. Black bears are like companies that deliberately position below market leaders—regional banks that don't compete with JPMorgan, grocery chains that avoid Amazon's focus areas. By accepting subordinate status, they reduce competitive intensity and access niches the dominant player ignores. Black bear strategy often produces larger total populations than the grizzly model. Being number two in many markets beats being number one in few markets if you measure total success rather than per-market dominance.