American Black Bears
Ursus Americanus
Currently the farm is home to two Black Bears. Both of our bears were born in captivity at other USDA license facilities.
- Baxter is our male black bear, born on January 19, 2000.
- Cindy is our female black bear, born on February 5, 2000.
Cindy is quite recognizable because of her reddish-brown fur.
The American Black Bear is the most common species of bear in the world and can be found across Canada, all of the United States, and even parts of northern Mexico. They prefer to live in wooded forests and will regularly travel to surrounding areas, like meadows, marshes, and even agricultural crop fields. Black Bears are omnivores, which means they eat both meat and plants and by traveling to many habitats, they find all kinds of food such as acorns, berries, nuts, fruits, honey, and sometimes even human trash. During the fall, an adult bear starts eating more and more food to prepare for hibernation. Some bears can gain up to 30 lbs each week. Once a bear decides to hibernate, they will find a small den, climb inside, and they can sleep for up to 100 days without waking up. Female bears will even give birth to their cubs in the den before winter is over.
Fun Fact: There are 21 different types of American Black Bear, including the Glacier Bear, Florida Black Bear, and Cinnamon Bear
Bears are normally diurnal, meaning they are most active during the early morning and early evening, and both Baxter and Cindy like to sleep most of the day inside their cave to escape the heat. Sometimes you can catch Baxter swimming, while Cindy prefers to sunbathe on the rocks. They eat a diet consisting of dog food, fresh fruits and veggies, and raw eggs from our chickens. In the summer, we make popsicles for them with treats frozen inside ice as a way to help them cool down, and sometimes we even throw apples in the water as a fun game for them.