ORANGE COUNTY ZOO
Photo courtesy of
Irvine Park Railroad
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The Orange County Zoo is
owned and operated by the
County
of Orange, California.
Web page produced by the
Orange County Zoological Society,
Copyright 2005.
Black Bear
Ursus americanus
These bears arrived at the Orange County Zoo in 2001. The male bear, found as a cub near Lake Tahoe, California, was brought into California Fish and Game in 1999. The female bear was brought into California Fish and Game in 2000 as a cub. She was found near Independence, California.
Black Bear, Ursus americanus, range in North America from northern Mexico to Alaska in forests, swamps, and mountains. They are 5-6 feet in length and weigh from 300-600 pounds. Males are 10%-50% larger than females. The color phases range from black to blue to cinnamon and even white.
Wild bears eat vegetation (twigs, buds, leaves, nuts, fruit, roots and berries), insects, small mammals and fish. They will rip open bee trees and eat the honey, bees and larvae.
Bears are good climbers and swimmers. They can run in bursts to 30 mph.
Black bears do not hibernate. They may go through a dormancy, depending on the severity of the winter and the availability of the food supply. Males in the southern regions may not den at all. Bears walk plantigrade (walking on the soles of feet).
Web Camera -Black Bear