June 1 was National Black Bear Day #NationalBlackBearDay and I missed sharing this Holiday yesterday but its so pretty today it would be nice to visit the Zoo and see if they had any black Bears for us to see. Which if Charlie was still Homeschooling we would be studying this week. I did ask Charlie if he would draw me a black Bear to color for my office. Would you like for Charlie to draw your a black Bear as well?
Remember if your Homeschooling studying this Holiday and learning about black Bears is a wonderful and fun Homeschool Lesson to study. For reading class you could read Black Bear. In your Art Class if the children didn’t want to draw a Bear they could color inside American Black Bear Coloring Book: Black Bears Only For Black Bear Lovers (Wildlife Lover Coloring Books). Charlie and I are looking at this week.
It’s a good day to celebrate National Black Bear Day on June 1th this year, which has been observed each year on the first Saturday in June for the sole purpose of teaching people about black Bears and dispelling the myths surrounding black Bears. If your like me Black Bears scare me but you know what we might scare them as well.
Did you know Bears inhabited practically every continent when humans first made their way to North America. The Grizzly Bears actually thrived in all Western states, from Mexico to the tip of Alaska. The smaller black Bear, a relative to the Grizzly, was living in places as far-ranging as the Atlantic and the Pacific in North America, and Mexico to the Northern edge of the Continent. Since the black Bear was a valuable source of thick hides for clothing and shelter, rich meat, and sweet fat for the Native Americans, we can see why they valued the Black Bear and passed on the stories of these Black Bears through their oral folktales.
The European settlers brought with them their fear of the wild and the animals that lived in it. These Black Bears posed a threat to life, livestock, and crops and so they began killing them. Their fear made its way into popular children’s books at the time, which showed Black Bears attacking hunters alongside other predators preying on their Cattle.
As is common with a human presence, forest land was wiped out to make space for open farmland, and the Black Bears began losing their homes. The more the population expanded, the more black Bears were killed for safety, food, or other purposes. Because they reproduced much slower than other Mammals, the black Bear population began to dwindle.
However, restoration programs and recovery of forest land saw the Black Bears numbers go up again, with some States like New Jersey and Maryland reporting a five-fold increase. While these Black Bears have not been able to reclaim their entire territory across North America, there is still a good number of Black Bears in the wild.
In fact, Black Bears are listed as the least endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to their large population. While the Black Bear population is expanding, so is the human population, to the extent that the two are coexisting in many areas. The North Carolina Black Bear Festival founded National Black Bear Day to celebrate America’s black Bear while trying to raise awareness about this animal and dispel all the myths and fear surrounding it.
LET’S CELEBRATE NATIONAL BLACK BEAR DAY
- National Black Bear Day is your chance to learn more about Black Bears and how you can coexist with them respectfully. Humans have a moral responsibility towards the conservation of nature and the animals that need it to survive. Learning more about National Black Bear Day,, and the black Bear, helps us realize what majestic creatures they are and how we only need to make a few minor adjustments to exist together.
- If your luck enough to live near a national park or animal preserve that has a black Bear population create a field trip out and see these animals up close and personal. If you can’t physically visit these animals, there are plenty of global reserves and many in America that provide animal cams to view these animals online at any time.
- Take time today to read up on what to do and what not to do in case of a black Bear attack. For example, avoid feeding wild Bears, don’t run or climb up trees if they chase you, and know that they usually always avoid humans unless they have no choice at all. Bears aren’t interested in eating humans. Bears food is 95% plant-based, although they do eat small animals like Frogs and Fish.
FACTS ABOUT NATIONAL BLACK BEAR DAY
- The black Bear can be found in 41 of the 50 U.S. States, at an estimated number of 800,000.
- Black Bears are not always black they come in a range of colors, sometimes in the same litter, including shades of cinnamon, blue/black, blue/grey, and, in rare instances, white.
- In Northern States, Black Bears can hibernate for up to eight months in the Spring season but, in the Southern regions, Black Bears hibernate for a shorter duration or not at all depending on food availability.
- Black bears are super dexterous animals and sometimes black Bears are more comfortable on a tree than on the ground.
- According to black Bear biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel, North Carolina’s Coastal regions have the largest black Bears on the planet, probably because they have access to high protein crops and enjoy mild winters.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL BLACK BEAR DAY
- day dedicated to the black Bear is an amazing way to build awareness about this animal, its history, and how our actions impact black Bears. The more we learn, the more we can help to conserve this gift from nature so future generations can enjoy black Bears.
- f you see a black Bear today, you shouldn’t scream and run for your life because the black Bear can outrun you easily. Nor should you be ‘cooing and walking towards a black Bear. National Black Bear Day helps us understand the animals we share our nation with, and reduces our chances of causing damage to ourselves and the Bears.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
