Meet the Black Bears
Black bears are the smallest bears in Alaska. Adult males can weigh up to 400 pounds. They are found in heavily forested areas throughout Alaska and are excellent tree climbers. We have two adult and an adolescent black bear at AWCC, that will have forever homes with us.
Despite their common English name, black bears are not always black in color. In some areas of the state, brown or “cinnamon” black bears are not uncommon, and in the region surrounding the community of Yakutat in southeast Alaska, there is a blue-gray color phase known as a “glacier bear.” Some islands off the coast of British Columbia are home to white, black bears! Interestingly, brown bears (Ursus arctos) also vary in color from platinum blonde to nearly black. Color is not a reliable method for differentiating between the two species, instead look for characteristics that differ between the two. Black bears will lack a prominent hump on their shoulders causing their rump to be higher than their shoulders, the opposite is true of brown bears. Black bears will also have a straight face profile, larger pointed ears, and shorter curved claws.
Meet Uli
Uli is our female black bear that arrived in our care in 2002.
Uli was found as a cub wandering the streets of downtown Juneau in 2002, weighing in at just five pounds, and her mother could not be located. She was named after an Alaska Airlines staff member who assisted in her relocation to the AWCC. Uli loves to roll around, sleep and loves when she receives watermelons as her enrichment! Black bears are omnivores and consume both plant and animal matter. In the spring, bears graze on sedges, grasses and other herbaceous plants, search for insects, and seek out carrion. Moose calves and deer fawns are also sought in the springtime. As summer progresses, salmon is an important food item in coastal areas. In the fall, black bears seek out berries, sometimes eating so many blueberries that their abdominal fat is stained purple. Bears forage nearly constantly throughout the late summer and fall in order to gain enough fat to survive the winter.
Meet Kuma
Kuma is a male black bear that was brought to AWCC in May of 2002, weighing only three pounds.
He was found alone in a hole in a backyard in Trapper Creek, AK in 2002. The homeowner was putting in a septic system and when the mother bear passed by, the cub fell in and was unable to climb out. When Kuma was discovered, the sow was nowhere to be found. He spends hours napping comfortably and doesn’t appear to be bothered by heavy rain or high winds! “Kuma” is Japanese for “bear.”
Meet Kobuk
Kobuk was brought to AWCC in the spring of 2016.
In 2016, Kobuk was found as an orphan in Valdez, Alaska after his mother had been chased off by dogs. Kobuk had become dependent on searching through trash cans for food, so to stop this bad habit of his and any potential conflicts it may have caused with humans, Kobuk was rescued and transferred to AWCC. Kobuk has since thrived! He loves climbing trees, playing with balls filled with honey and blueberries as well as interacting with our animal care staff. Kobuk was named after Kobuk Valley National Park, as a tribute to the 100th Anniversary of the National Parks in 2016.
Listen to the Black Bear Audio Guide
