The American Black Bear that we see here in the Smoky Mountains and Cades Cove are also found in the other mountainous areas of the United States. Those areas include all the Appalachian mountains, Ozark Mountains, Rocky Mountains and ranges in California up through Alaska. The state of California has the largest population of Black Bears per state. They are noticeably mostly absent from the Ohio Valley and Midwest regions of the US.

Estimates have the population of American Black Bear at around 500,000 in the US. The American Black Bear range also includes almost all of Canada and parts of Northern Mexico. Canada also has a population similar to the US at around 500,000, and Mexico has just a small population in very small pockets of their country. This brings the total population of American Black Bears in the world to around 1 million individuals. They are found nowhere else in the world, and the closest cousin is the Asian Black Bear. They are only a distant cousin to the Brown Bear that sometimes shares the same territory in the Northwest.

Although their namesake derives from the most common color black, American Black Bears range in all shades between black and white. In the Northeast and Southeast, there tends to be around 70% of the population that are black. The number of black colored bears in the Rockies and western states leans more to 50% of the population. There are as many as 15 different subspecies of the American Black Bear. One of those subspecies is the Kermode Bear also called Spirit Bear which has a recessive gene that results in 10% being white in color. These are found in British Columbia.

Smoky Mountain Black Bears males average around 250 pounds while females are just over 100 pounds. This is an extreme difference and can sometimes be used to tell the sex of a mature bear. Some other physical appearance differences are the shape and size of the head and its parts. Adult females tend to show a more elongated face (more dog like) and longer taller ears. An adult male’s head and face has more round like features, and their ears have a more squatty appearance. Both males and females can run up to 25-30mph if they have to. They are extremely strong and able to lift 300 lbs. with a single lift of a front forearm. What is more amazing is the dexterity they have along with that strength. They are able to use their paws and claws to do the smallest and most difficult precise movements when foraging and feeding. They hear and see better than humans, but their most amazing sense is smell. They can smell 7x better than a domestic dog. Females can breed as early as 3 years old, and American Black Bears live on average to be 18 years old in the wild.

As a nature and wildlife photographer, one of my great joys is observing and photographing black bears in the Smoky Mountains. I have spent many hours learning about the habits of our local bears (and other wildlife), and of course photographing them. Sharing the wonder of nature with others is my passion, so if you are interested in black bear photography stop by my gallery (Cades Cove Gallery, Townsend, TN) or check out our online store. I also provide customized guided tours for individuals and small groups. This allows me to share my passion with others and to help them “get the shot” themselves plus improve their photography skills.

References: Wikipedia contributors. (2020, May 11). American black bear. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:09, May 12, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_black_bear&oldid=956148785