The Black Bear In Pennsylvania

The black bear ( Ursus americanus ) ranges throughout most of Pennsylvania living in and moving through predominately forested areas. With the bulk of the geographic extent of its range on the continent well north of Pennsylvania, the Appalachian Mountains extend black bear populations far south into Georgia. With more than 10,000 individuals in the state, it is not unusual for people to encounter a black bear when hiking or recreating in the forest.

The common name may be a bit misleading considering the variation of coloring these animals exhibit; their coats may be black to cinnamon brown to blonde and they often have a white patch on the chest. Black bears appear heavy and have short, powerful legs. Adults usually weigh from 200 to 600 pounds, with rare individuals weighing up to 900 pounds. Males are called boars; females, sows. An adult male normally weighs more than an adult female, sometimes twice as much. Black bears measure about three feet high when on all fours or about five to seven feet tall when standing upright.

Black bears are omnivores and will consume almost any food, be it carrion, insects, berries, grain or garbage. Bear will seek out easy handouts and that's where human and bear interactions can turn troublesome. Once a bear is acclimated to a food source like a campground, garbage dump, or crop storage area, they may persist in visiting those places, even when measures are taken to discourage them. Many of these bears must be captured and moved far from the area to solve visitation issues. So, enjoy a sighting with one of these magnificent animals but do not encourage bad behavior by feeding them, intentionally or inadvertently.

E-mail Today's WPC Daily to a Friend!

Sign Up for WPC Daily

This holiday season, give someone you care about the opportunity to save the places we care about with a Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Membership (Yearly memberships start at 25 dollars).

The Fallingwater Museum Shop has more than 200 unique holiday gift ideas in our online catalog.

View the new winning WPC Daily (Makes a great screen wallpaper/calendar for December)