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THE GARDEN SAGEA library of living things
Wildlife & landscape pests · Western North Carolina field companion

American black bear

Ursus americanus

IMG_9156Holly

A bear family pauses where the forest crosses a quiet road.

Record
Holly’s observation · High identification confidence
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In the landscape.

Plants & places

Forested mountain country and adjoining neighborhoods in western North Carolina; this observation's precise locality is not confirmed.

A sensible first response

Watch from well away, give the family a clear route, and secure garbage and other human food sources.

When to look

Date not supplied in filename. Do not substitute the file's modification date for an observation date.

Identification

Representative video frames show a black-coated adult bear accompanied by much smaller cubs. Rounded ears, body proportions and the North Carolina collection context support American black bear. The number of cubs can change with what is visible in a frame; the clip is not a population count.

Lookalikes & limits

Black bear is the only native bear species in North Carolina. The recording's exact location and date are not present in its filename and remain unverified.

In the garden

An omnivore in the wider forest community, eating seasonally available plant and animal foods.

Your margin of the garden.

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