The American Black Bear in the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP)
The American black bears of GSMNP are more commonly
known as Smoky Mountain Black Bears or simply as Park bears. No matter
what you call them, the bears of The Great Smoky Mountain National
Park are symbols of the wilderness and-- in a sense--freedom from
the modern world.
Smoky Mountain Black Bear Links:
The Appalachian
Bear Center is a facility for bear rehabilitation, and
release. They are also dedicated to research and education
about the Black Bears of the Great Smoky Mountain National
Park. The Appalachian Bear Center is located just outside of
the park and has been returning black bears back to the wild
since 1996. http://www.appbears.org/
View
a bear in the wild on-line. BearCam by National Geographic features
live pictures of a Brown Bear. Available only during the months that
the bear is not hibernating.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/bearcam/
Other
Bear Species. Bears of the Smokies have cousins in other national
parks and wild areas. Some of the Smoky Mountain Bear’s best
known cousins are Brown and Polar Bears. There are no brown bears
and of course no Polar bears in the Great Smoky Mountain National
Park. Click here for details. http://www.alaska-bear-pictures.com/Bear_Attacks/bear_attacks.html
Brown
Bears. The McNeil River State Game Sanctuary is a bear enthusiast’s
Mecca.
Groups of forty or more wild brown bears congregate at this sanctuary
to feast on the abundant salmon that spawn there each summer from about
early July to mid-August.
More Black Bear Info:
Front
Page • Where To Find Them • Safety • Habitat
Appearance • Breeding • Bear
Cubs • Diet • Hibernation • Links