At Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge a black bear sow and her cub feed on a black cherry plant's berries. It might look like the mother bear is getting ready to take a bite out of a branch. But bears must know something that stops them from eating much more than the berries. Because while the berries are eaten by a wide variety of mammals and birds, the foliage and branches contain a cyanide compound that is harmful to livestock and other animals. The foliage will kill goats and sheep and make horses and cows very sick depending on how much they eat. Wilted leaves are the worst because the drying process concentrates the cyanide compound. People who have livestock know to remove the plants from around pastures or watch out for fallen limbs after storms.
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