American Black Bear

Scientific name: Ursus americanus

Conservation status: Least concern

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Come Meet our Bears!

Kenai and Klondike were orphaned and taken in by Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Henson Robinson Zoo acquired both bears in 2018. Kenai is our female,and Klondike is our male. Come out to the zoo to meet them and watch them play! They often play on their equipment and curiously follow visitors along their enclosure, making them very fun animals to see!

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Adopt our Bears!

Coming soon! Soon you can adopt Kenai or Klondike to help fund their food, vet bills, enrichment, and care!

Photo credit

​American Black Bear Bytes

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• American black bears hibernate in the winter.

• Mother black bears give birth to their cubs during hibernation.

• 85% of their diet is vegetation. They eat berries, tree nuts, shoots, and even grass. They also love bees, ants, insects, honey, and fish.

• Black bears are usually black, but they can also be brown, a pale creamy-yellow, or even a bluish-gray! 

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Conservation Challenge

Conflicts with humans are one of the biggest threats to black bears. While there are no black bear populations in Illinois, you can still help by educating others about not feeding bears, making sure garbage cans are bearproof, and otherwise avoiding bears so they don't become used to humans.

Black Bears