All Bear Facts

What If I Get Between a Black Bear Mother and Her Cubs?

One of the biggest misconceptions about black bears is that mothers are likely to attack people in defense of cubs. That is a grizzly bear trait. 70% of the killings…

If a Black Bear Senses I’m Afraid, Will It Attack?

No. Most people are afraid near bears and are not attacked. Black bears are not looking for a vulnerable person to attack. Their first concern is that they will be…

What If I See a Bear That Seems Threatening?

This picture shows harmless bluster by a nervous black bear—a mature female. She made her muzzle long and narrow, lunged forward, blew loudly, and slammed her front feet down into…

What If I See a Black Bear?

This is probably the most common question we hear. The standard answer nationwide is, “Speak calmly and back away slowly.” This is good advice. It identifies you as a person,…

How Dangerous Are Black Bears?

By Lynn Rogers, PhD In working closely with wild bears for over 50 years, I have gradually become more and more comfortable with them as I learned their “language” and…

Do Black Bears Growl?

Bear Center researchers are still waiting to find out. In over 40 years of capturing, observing, and confronting bears—and seeing the occasional fight—they have yet to hear their first growl….

Scared Cubs and Crying Babies Sound Alike

Black bear cubs and human babies can sound enough alike to confuse both species. Bear cub crying On August 7, 1990, a scared cub sounded so much like a person…

How Dangerous Are Bluff Charges?

Stories of bears rushing at people are rare but do happen. These are bears that make the news. They are the unusually aggressive bears that create stories of narrow escapes….

The Black Bears’ Voice

Black bears not only communicate with grunts, tongue-clicks, and blowing. They have a resonant voice. It is not the barking, growling voice of a dog and is seldom the shrill…

Harmless Bluster

Bear Center researchers see bluster when bears are nervous and crowded but reluctant to leave because of cubs, food, or being cornered. The researchers usually give these bears space, out…

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