American Black Bear

Q: What are the chances of seeing an American Black Bear in Wood Buffalo National Park?

Very likely. About 80% of wildlife watchers report an American Black Bear sighting in Wood Buffalo National Park on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: What time of day is best to see an American Black Bear?

Between 1 and 4 pm. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Black Bear sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Q: Is Wood Buffalo National Park the best place to see an American Black Bear?

Among the best. Of the 31 parks where we can rate American Black Bear sightings, Wood Buffalo National Park ranks 3rd at about 80%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 80%) and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 80%). All parks ranked.

Q: Where does the American Black Bear sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the American Black Bear is recorded against all the mammals logged in Wood Buffalo National Park (36 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Ursus americanus

Silhouette: Tracy A. Heath · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassMammalia (Mammals)
OrderCarnivora (Carnivorans)
FamilyUrsidae (Bears)
GenusUrsus (Holarctic Bears)
SpeciesUrsus americanus (American Black Bear)

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

at Wood Buffalo National Park

In 3 days >90%

36 Verified sightings at Wood Buffalo National Park From 2019 to 2026

8,596 In all 31 parks

May Best month

☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

Challenge Brown and Black Bears North AmericaEasy

Challenge North Woods North AmericaMedium

About the American Black Bear

The American black bear (Ursus americanus), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with a diet varying greatly depending on season and location. It primarily inhabits forested regions, but may venture beyond forest boundaries in search of food. Individuals are occasionally drawn to human settlements due to the availability of easily accessible food sources.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the American black bear as a least-concern species because of its widespread distribution and a large population, estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. Along with the brown bear (Ursus arctos), it is one of the two modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction.

The American black bear is not closely related to the brown bear or polar bear, though all three species are found in North America; genetic studies reveal that they split from a common ancestor 5.05 million years ago (mya). American and Asian black bears are considered sister taxa and are... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:08

United States · 2025

Recording0:15

2026

Recording0:19

United States · 2026

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Known range (Mammal Diversity Database, Marsh et al. 2022)Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 161 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~80%
2	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	~80%
3	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~80%
4	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~70%
5	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~60%
6	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	~60%
7	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~60%
8	Nahanni National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~60%
9	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~60%
10	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
11	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
12	Kenai Fjords National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
13	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~50%
14	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	~40%
15	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
16	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
17	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~40%
18	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~40%
19	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
20	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~40%
21	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
22	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
23	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
24	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
25	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
26	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
27	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
28	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
29	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
30	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
31	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Anchorage	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
2	Vancouver	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
3	Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
4	Denver	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
5	Los Angeles	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
6	Seattle	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
7	Washington	🇺🇸 United States	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	San Diego Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Six Flags Great Adventure	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	Pairi Daiza	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
4	National Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	Denver Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
6	Tierpark Berlin	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
7	California Academy of Sciences	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
8	North Carolina Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
9	Tulsa Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
10	Olomouc Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
11	Ecomuseum Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
12	Parc Omega	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
13	Wildlife Prairie Park East Side	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
14	Northwest Trek Wildlife Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
15	Zoo Sauvage de St-Félicien	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
16	Zoo sauvage Saint-Félicien	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
17	Zoo Miami	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
18	The Wild Animal Sanctuary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
19	Minnesota Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
20	Taipei Zoo	🇹🇼 Taiwan	In captivity
21	Domaine des Grottes de Han	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
22	Woburn Safari Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
23	Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
24	Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
25	Columbus Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
26	Oswald's Bear Ranch	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
27	Parc animalier de Sainte-Croix	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
28	Squam Lakes Natural Science Center	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
29	Planète Sauvage	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
30	Safari de Peaugres	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
31	Ecological Center of Sonora	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
32	Sedgwick County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
33	Safari World	🇹🇭 Thailand	In captivity
34	Ree Park – Ebeltoft Safari	🇩🇰 Denmark	In captivity
35	Shubenacadie Wildlife Park	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
36	Cheyenne Mountain Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
37	Wild Animal Safari	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
38	Bearizona	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
39	Fuji Safari Park	🇯🇵 Japan	In captivity
40	Oakland Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
41	Wildlife West Nature Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
42	Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
43	Cape May County Park & Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
44	Greater Vancouver Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
45	Réserve africaine de Thoiry	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
46	Wildlife World Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
47	Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
48	Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
49	Birmingham Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
50	Africam Safari	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Wood Buffalo National Park

No species of the same family or order lives in Wood Buffalo National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.

Bison bison

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Alces americanus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an American Black Bear in Wood Buffalo National Park?

Very likely

About 80% of wildlife watchers report an American Black Bear sighting in Wood Buffalo National Park on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

What time of day is best to see an American Black Bear?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Black Bear sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Wood Buffalo National Park the best place to see an American Black Bear?

Among the best

Of the 31 parks where we can rate American Black Bear sightings, Wood Buffalo National Park ranks 3rd at about 80%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 80%) and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 80%). All parks ranked.

Where does the American Black Bear sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the American Black Bear is recorded against all the mammals logged in Wood Buffalo National Park (36 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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