When humans first arrived in North America, bears inhabited essentially every continent. In fact, grizzlies thrived in all western states, from Mexico to the northernmost point of Alaska.
It’s a ‘beary’ excellent day to celebrate National Black Bear Day on June 3 this year. National Black Bear Day is observed annually on the first Saturday of June for the sole purpose of educating people about black bears and dispelling myths about them. This was the final pun, we swear. Just be patient.
When humans first arrived in North America, bears inhabited essentially every continent. In fact, grizzlies thrived in all western states, from Mexico to the northernmost point of Alaska. The lesser black bear, a relative of the grizzly, was found as far south as Mexico and as far north as the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean in North America. Since the black bear was a valuable source of dense hides for clothing and shelter, rich meat, and sweet fat for Native Americans, it is easy to understand why they valued it and passed on the stories of these bears through oral folktales.
The European settlers carried with them a fear of the wilderness and its inhabitants. These bears presented a threat to human life, livestock, and crops, so their elimination was initiated. At the time, popular children’s books depicted bears attacking hunters and other predators feeding on their cattle. As is typical when humans are present, forest land was cleared to make way for agriculture, and bears began to lose their homes. More black bears were slain for safety, food, or other purposes as the population grew. Because they reproduced much more slowly than other mammals, the population of black bears began to decline.
Some states, including New Jersey and Maryland, reported a fivefold increase in the number of forest restoration programmes and reclaimed forest land. Even though these bears have not been able to reclaim their entire North American territory, there are still a substantial number of black bears in the wild. Due to their enormous population, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature classifies them as the least endangered species. While the bear population is growing, so too is the human population, to the point where they coexist in many regions.
National Black Bear Day was created by the North Carolina Black Bear Festival in an effort to raise awareness about this animal and dispel all the misconceptions and fears surrounding it.
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There are an estimated 800,000 black bears in 41 of the fifty United States’ states.
They are available in a variety of colours, sometimes within the same litter, including cinnamon, blue/black, blue/grey, and, on occasion, white.
Depending on the availability of food, they may hibernate for a limited period of time or not at all in the southern states.
These incredibly agile creatures are often more at ease in a tree than on the ground.
According to black bear biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel, North Carolina’s coastal regions are home to the world’s largest black bears. This is likely due to their access to high-protein crops and moderate winters.
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | June 4 | Saturday |
| 2023 | June 3 | Saturday |
| 2024 | June 1 | Saturday |
| 2025 | June 7 | Saturday |
| 2026 | June 6 | Saturday |
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