National Black Bear Day / Jun 5, 2025
When is National Black Bear Day?
The first Saturday in June is National Black Bear Day.
What is National Black Bear Day?
There is good reason to be nervous if a black bear ambles past your kitchen window. It probably doesn’t plan to snack on your shih tzu though. The design behind National Black Bear Day is to teach folks about black bears and dispel the myths that surround them.
For example, not every black bear is black. Most are black, but their coats come in several other colors too, like blue-grey or cinnamon. British Columbia even has an occasional white-coated black bear.
Black bears climb trees. They might even be more confident up a tree than on the ground, so don’t climb a tree if one charges you. A lot of folks think they’re unpredictable, but bears use body language and vocalizations—grumbles, woofing, and a strangely threatening moan—to communicate when they’re nervous or upset.
We imagine bears as nightmares, but that’s often a human reaction to the unknown. If you spend any time in bear country, National Black Bear Day is your chance to learn more about these mammals and how to coexist with wisdom and respect.
Fun facts about National Black Bear Day!
These bears can kick it up to 25 or 30 miles an hour when they want to run. You can’t outrun that.
The biggest black bear on record weighed around 1,100 pounds and was killed in 1972.
Black bears tend to be smaller than grizzlies with less rounded ears, a straighter profile from forehead to snout, and shorter front claws.
The North Carolina Black Bear Festival created National Black Bear Day in 2018.
How to celebrate National Black Bear Day:
Learn more about black bears. Find out what they eat, where they live, how they communicate, and how to coexist with them.
Research what to do in a bear attack before you head into bear territory. Fingers-crossed it never happens, but you should be prepared. (Hint: don’t run, don’t climb a tree, and don’t try to escape across water. They can run, climb, and swim better than you.)
Visit a national park or animal preserve to see black bears in person—just not too close.
What’s the hashtag for National Black Bear Day?
Use #NationalBlackBearDay on social media to celebrate the beautiful black bear.