American Black Bear

About the American Black Bear

A powerful reminder that Big Bend and the mountains of West Texas are truly wild country, the American Black Bear is a large, heavy-bodied mammal, usually glossy black - though brown and cinnamon individuals occur in the Southwest - with a tan muzzle and small, rounded ears. Whatever the coat color, the shape gives it away: no shoulder hump and a straight facial profile mark it as a black bear.

Black bears are shy, intelligent omnivores, feeding mostly on plants, berries, nuts, and insects, with the occasional carrion or small animal. They range widely, climb well, and generally avoid people, melting into the brush at the first sign of trouble.

In Texas the Black Bear had largely vanished but has been recolonizing the Trans-Pecos, especially the rugged Chisos Mountains of Big Bend, where bears have wandered back in from Mexico - a genuine wildlife comeback story.

A note from behind the lens: encounters are rare and deserve real caution and distance - a long lens and respect for the animal come first. Watch the wooded canyons and slopes at dawn and dusk, keep the wind in your favor, and never approach or crowd a bear for a photograph.