Also, while there is always a risk with wild animals, black bears are not crazy aggressive killers beasts. They are mainly dangerous when you catch a mom with her cubs or when they wake up from hibernation as they are starved and the food is scarce, but during summer there's plenty of food for them to go by not to think of humans as potential preys. (actually they'd often be scared of humans- or even react to the humans as if they are strange fellow bears. They might be curious and friendly, or take them as potential rivals- rather than food.)
Also, they are omnivorous, so they eat plenty of fruits, not just hunt for meat.

At some point it sounded like a dolphin…

Okay, I'm guilty.
…we have three young kittens and, well, sometimes I need to pick them all up but the little things squirm and I only have two arms so I plop one of them in my shirt and… problem's solved. Seriously, it does work like a kangaroo pouch.
And since knockers are pretty gosh darn impractical when trying to do anything but being leered at, finding them a practical use is awesome.