Black bear

Throughout North America

Common

The most common bears in North America, black bears occupy forests, mountainous regions, swamplands and brush areas.

Black bears are solitary, roaming huge territories that overlap with other bears.

In winter, females birth two or three cubs and nurse them until spring. Cubs stay with aggressively protective mothers for a couple years before exploring the world on their own.

• Powerful limbs and strong claws make black bears excellent tree climbers.
• True omnivores, black bears gobble grasses, berries, insects, fish, mammals and carrion. They will develop a taste for human food and garbage, which can cause problems in areas where humans camp.
• Unlike other bears that hibernate completely, black bears are can easily be woken from their winter slumber in dens they create underground or in tree hollows.

ADOPT a Bear this Spring! Otters are splashing, beavers are building and black bears are foraging for food at the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo. Celebrate spring’s arrival with a wild gift package that helps provide care for your favorite animal!

Animals Eat the Skyline at Chi-Cow-Go The zoo celebrated Chicago’s 175th birthday with a bovine bash. The fun kicked off with the unveiling of a redesigned "Cows on Parade" statue before moving to the rest of the zoo with Chicago-themed animal enrichment.