Laughing Bear
This American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) was seen at the Detroit Zoo. Black Bears are widespread throughout North America, including my state Michigan.
Black Bears live in large forested areas, but will leave to search for food. Their diet is omnivorous. They tend to avoid humans, but many attacks have been recorded, especially when they are protecting their cubs. A woman was killed and partially eaten in May of 2000 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee). I remember the date because I was hiking there the week after that incident.
People in parks very foolishly feed the bears or leave food/garbage out in the open, and pursue the bears to photograph them. They seem to forget that the bears are STRONG, WILD animals.
According to the zoo docent, this bear was a "rescue animal", after it had a nasty encounter with porcupines, when it was a young bear.
Laughing Bear
This American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) was seen at the Detroit Zoo. Black Bears are widespread throughout North America, including my state Michigan.
Black Bears live in large forested areas, but will leave to search for food. Their diet is omnivorous. They tend to avoid humans, but many attacks have been recorded, especially when they are protecting their cubs. A woman was killed and partially eaten in May of 2000 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee). I remember the date because I was hiking there the week after that incident.
People in parks very foolishly feed the bears or leave food/garbage out in the open, and pursue the bears to photograph them. They seem to forget that the bears are STRONG, WILD animals.
According to the zoo docent, this bear was a "rescue animal", after it had a nasty encounter with porcupines, when it was a young bear.