Maryland native · Meet Louie

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

Meet Louie, Plumpton Park Zoo’s American black bear and one of the best-known animals at the zoo, here in Rising Sun, Maryland.

Plan Your VisitLouie’s Story
Louie, Plumpton Park Zoo's American black bear, sitting in his pool in Rising Sun, Maryland
Size5–7 ft long
Weight300–600 lb
LifespanAbout 10 years
Conservation statusLeast Concern

Louie’s story

The Bear Who Loves His Shower

A short video of Louie in the shower, first posted on our Facebook page, has been watched more than a million times.

LouieDaily shower1 million+ video views
Louie the black bear standing up in his shower▶ Watch Louie’s shower

Louie is our American black bear, and one of the best-known animals at the zoo.

Every day his keepers give him a shower, and Louie makes the most of it: he stands right up on his hind legs and leans into the spray, turning to make sure nothing gets missed. His keepers say it is the best part of their day too.

For teachers and homeschool families

A free two-page American black bear fact sheet with fast facts, words to know, discussion questions and a drawing activity. Teachers may copy and share it freely as long as they credit Plumpton Park Zoo.

Printable Fact Sheet (PDF)


Field guide

How to recognize an American black bear

The American black bear is the smallest of the three bear species found in North America. They are found only in North America. Black bears have short, non-retractable claws that give them an excellent tree-climbing ability. They tend to be solitary animals, with the exception of mothers and cubs. Black bears usually forage alone but will tolerate each other and forage in groups if there is an abundance of food in one area.

Black bear fur is usually a uniform color except for a brown muzzle. The muzzle has light markings that sometimes appear on their chests. Eastern populations are usually black in color. Western populations often show brown, cinnamon, and blond coloration in addition to black. Black bears with white-bluish fur are known as Kermode or Spirit bears. These unique color phases are only found in coastal British Columbia, Canada.

Black bears are extremely adaptable and show a great variation in habitat types. However, they are primarily found in forested areas with thick ground vegetation and an abundance of fruits, nuts, and vegetation. Despite their short legs and chunky appearance, they can run in bursts of up to 30 mph, but only for short distances. Bears have poor eyesight and depend on a well-developed sense of smell to find both food and danger.

Close-up of Louie, Plumpton Park Zoo's American black bear, showing his brown muzzle

Louie’s brown muzzle at Plumpton Park Zoo


At a glance

American black bear fast facts

Scientific name Ursus americanus
Family Ursidae
Diet Omnivore
Native range North America only
Size About 5–7 feet
Weight 300–600 lb
Lifespan Average lifespan is around ten years, though black bears can live upward of 30 years on occasion.
Conservation status Least Concern

701

adult and subadult black bears estimated in western Maryland in 2011, up from 79 in Garrett County in 1991.

Close to home

Black bears in Maryland

By the mid-1960s, Maryland’s black bears were nearly gone, found only in the remote mountains of Allegany and Garrett counties. Today, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, black bears use all areas of the state’s four western counties, Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington, year-round.

Sightings farther east, in counties such as Baltimore, Harford, Howard and Montgomery, have become more common in recent years, especially in summer when young bears disperse to find territories of their own.


Winter

Not quite hibernating

Black bears hibernate depending on local weather conditions and availability of food during the winter months, but they do not hibernate the way ground squirrels do; they enter a lighter dormancy in which body temperature drops only a few degrees and the bear can wake if disturbed. In that state a bear may go months without eating, drinking, or relieving itself, living entirely on the fat it built up during a fall feeding frenzy that can add several pounds a day. Bears in milder climates, or with steady food, may stay active most of the winter.

All those months lying still don’t weaken a bear’s bones. A person on bed rest that long would lose bone strength, but researchers at Michigan Technological University found hibernating bears keep their bone mass, and they are studying bear hormones in hopes of new treatments for osteoporosis.

Source: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Science Forum.

On the menu

What black bears eat

American black bears are omnivorous: plants, fruits, nuts, insects, honey, salmon, small mammals, and carrion. In northern regions, they eat spawning salmon. Black bears will also occasionally kill young deer or moose calves.


Louie, Plumpton Park Zoo's American black bear, with fruit and an enrichment bag

Louie with fruit and an enrichment bag

Family life

Raising cubs

1–5cubs per litter, most often two
8–12 ozweight of a newborn cub
1½ yrsage when cubs leave their mother

Black bears breed in summer, but thanks to an uncommon adaptation called delayed implantation, the pregnancy does not begin developing until the female is in her winter den. Cubs are born in late January while she is denning, and she nurses them in the den until spring. The cubs stay with their mother through the summer, den with her again the following winter, and strike out on their own at about a year and a half.


Spot the difference

Black bear or brown bear?

American black bear

Shoulders level with the back, no hump. Straight face profile, tall oval ears, and front claws under 2 inches and curved.

Brown bear / grizzly

A distinct shoulder hump, a dished face, short round ears, and front claws 2 to 4 inches long. Compare on our European brown bear page.

Kermode (spirit) bear

Not a separate species: a black bear with a white or pale coat, found only in coastal British Columbia.

Color isn’t proof

Black bears can be brown, cinnamon or blond, so check the shoulders, face and ears rather than the coat.


Conservation

Why they matter

LEAST CONCERN

It is estimated that there are at least 600,000 black bears in North America. In the United States, there are estimated to be over 300,000 individuals. However, the Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolu) and Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) are unique subspecies with small populations. The Louisiana black bear is federally listed as a threatened species. The Florida black bear is estimated to number 3,000.

Black bears are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, and their numbers in much of the eastern United States, including Maryland, have grown over recent decades as forests recovered. That is a conservation success worth talking about. It also means more people meet bears near their homes, and most problems come down to unsecured trash, bird feeders, and pet food. A bear that learns to associate people with food usually ends up in trouble. Seeing a bear up close and learning how it thinks is one of the best ways to understand why keeping food out of reach protects both people and bears.

Louie, Plumpton Park Zoo's American black bear, resting and looking at the camera

Louie up close at Plumpton Park Zoo


Support

Help care for Louie & the animals of Plumpton Park

As a nonprofit zoo, Plumpton Park Zoo relies on admissions, memberships and the generosity of people who believe in what we do. Donations help support animal care, veterinary services, nutritious diets, enrichment, habitat improvements and the continued development of the zoo.

Support Our Animals

Plumpton Park Zoological Gardens, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations support the zoo’s charitable mission and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.


Questions

Questions visitors ask about black bears

How big do black bears get?

Adult males commonly weigh two to four hundred pounds, with exceptional bears larger than that, and females are smaller. Weight swings a great deal through the year as bears fatten for winter.

Can black bears climb?

Yes, and well. Their short, curved claws are made for gripping bark, and cubs are sent up trees for safety. An adult can climb a tree faster than you might expect.

What do black bears eat?

Mostly plants: berries, nuts, acorns, grasses, and roots, along with insects, honey, and whatever meat they can find or scavenge. They are opportunists, which is why keeping human food secured matters so much in bear country.

Are there black bears in Maryland?

Yes. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources reports that black bears now use all areas of the state’s four western counties, Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington, year-round, and that sightings farther east, in counties such as Baltimore, Harford, Howard and Montgomery, have become more common in recent years.

Where can I see a black bear in Maryland?

At Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, Cecil County, Maryland, home to Louie, our American black bear. See Hours and Tickets for times and admission.

How can I support the bears at the zoo?

Feeding, veterinary care, and enrichment for a large omnivore add up. You can support the animals directly, and you can read about how our keepers keep every species busy on the all animals page.



See Louie at Plumpton Park Zoo

Come meet Louie and more than 200 other animals at Plumpton Park Zoo in Rising Sun, Maryland, ten minutes from I-95.

The zoo is in Cecil County, an easy drive from Delaware and southern Pennsylvania. While you are here, compare Louie with our European brown bears, see how northern predators live on our arctic wolf page, and feed a giraffe.

Hours & TicketsGet TicketsTeacher Fact Sheet (PDF)