The Alabama Black Bear Alliance is a broad-based coalition of diverse interests with the goal of working cooperatively and voluntarily for the conservation of the black bear in Alabama through education, research, and management.

Many Alabamians may be surprised to learn that we have a substantial remnant black bear population in southwest Alabama. The estimated number of black bears ranges from as few as fifty to as many as several hundred. The Alabama black bear population, however, has declined greatly over the past century due to a loss or change of character of the forested land that is required for bear habitat.

Black bears are fascinating to watch, and can enhance outdoor recreational experiences and possibly increase tourism in some cases. They have nonaggressive personalities and pose little threat to people unless provoked or threatened. The presence of black bear populations increases the biodiversity of an area, while the forestry and agricultural practices utilized in habitat management for the bear benefit other wildlife as well. After learning and understanding more about the black bear, we have begun to appreciate its uniqueness in our environment and as part of our heritage.

Very little is known about black bear population in south Alabama, which is classified as the Florida subspecies, Urus Americanus floridanus. Even less is known about the black bear population in other parts of Alabama. The bear population in the Mobile Delta was studied in 1985 with no success, and then in 1993 ten bear were caught, studied, and released in the Creola Area. However, the populations have not been studied since then.

The ABBA decided to employ the aid of Dr. Joe Clark and Dr. Mike Pelton, black bear biologists from the University of Tennessee, to work with Michael Gay, a graduate student from the University of Tennessee, to formally study the bear population in south Alabama. This study was designed to determine the distribution of the black bear population in the Mobile River Area, estimate basic demographic parameters and evaluate their habitat needs.

Kimberly-Clarke Corporation generously offered to let us set up our headquarters at their Fort Pierce hunting lodge on the edge of the Mobile River Delta. We wanted to begin our study in the Delta because of the historical significance of the black bear in this area and the vast amount of wilderness that we feel is suitable bear habitat.

We began our efforts on June 11, 1998 by meeting with local landowners from the study area. It was imperative that we establish a good working relationship with the landowners since most of the study area is privately owned. These landowners, as well as Conservation officers and biologist with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, provided information about areas where bear and bear signs had been seen in the recent past.

Initially we placed pre-baits in the suggested areas and areas where habitat was thought to be particularly promising (e.g. riparian areas, inaccessible areas along major river drainages, and large blocks of woodland). The baits consisted of a variety of items including fish, cheese, corn, and doughnuts donated by Krispy Kreme in Mobile.

Although we found bear signs and some very promising habitat on the Baldwin County side of the Delta, only three baits were taken after two months. Because the bear population density was so low and these bear were ranging such a wide area in search of food, the chances of baiting a bear was slim so we decided to study a different area in south Alabama.

Some landowners in areas where we knew there were bear questioned whether it was in their best interests to give us access to their property. This was understandable since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was considering listing the Florida bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In 1992, the Louisiana bear was listed and the FWS agreed to make a decision on the Florida bear by December 1998. The Florida bear was not listed.

Some landowners in areas of high bear density decided that the more bear we caught, the easier it would be to prove that the black bear population in south Alabama was doing well. Once access was granted, we began to set up a bait line in an area in Mobile County. We caught a 80 pound female and a 120 pound female in Mobile after three days of trapping. We weighed and measured them, took DNA samples and collared them. We then decided to move to Washington County where we had a report of fresh tracks.

The tracks were of two bear, one track was 6" wide and the other was 3 ½" wide. We believe that we were on the trail of a sow and a yearling cub. We soon had a bear hitting our baits so we set snares. On November 19, 1998, the day the study was to end, we caught a beautiful 230 pound male.

Since the study ended, two additional bears have been seen in the area where we caught the male. These bears are believed to be different than the collared male or the female and cub whose tracks we had earlier found. This illustrates the difficulty of estimating a population in a given area. The black bear is such a secretive and intelligent animal, they can live a lifetime in an area close to someone’s back door and never make their presence known.

Although only three bear were captured this year, we feel that much was accomplished in our efforts to work with landowners and to determine which areas provide potential habitat for black bears. These two factors should greatly increase our chances of capturing significantly more animals next year.

Attempts will be made in February or March to locate the radio-collared bears and examine den sites and to determine the presence of cubs. In late May 1999, we will return to locate and capture additional bears. We will also begin using telemetry to look at movements and habitat use by the bears.

Here's some news articles that I read in the local newspapers recently concerning Alabama Black Bears

The first article is from May of 2005.

An area between Bibb and Shelby county, Alabama in Central Alabama is perfect for Black Bears and they seem to have returned to that area.

A small group of black bears are Alabama's newest residents to that area. Black Bears abandoned that part of the state years ago, but new evidence shows that they might be making a comeback to Bibb and Shelby counties.

There's a lot of old coal mining operations in that area that hasn't had much activity for years and some coal miners have found bear footprints, hair samples and pictures taken suggest that the black bear might be back in this area.

Conservationists say that this area is perfect black bear habitat because of the isolation of the area and old mine shafts that can be used as dens and the vegetation of the area is ideal. Biologists know for sure that black bears were in the area a few months before this article was in print, but unsure if they will stay. A Black Bear ideally needs approximately about 50 square miles of space. The Black Bear is considered a large carnivore, but they'll eat anything, plants, garbage or whatever's available. People shouldn't be afraid of them as confrontation is not a bear's style, but you should leave them alone if one is approached or seen. Black Bears are scared of humans.

Male Black Bears tend to keep on the move a lot, sometimes traveling several hundred miles before claiming an area permanently. Females, on the other side usually stick pretty much close to one spot or area.

Previous DNA tests show that one of the Black Bears that was photographed in the Bibb and Shelby county area is a female Black Bear. Scientists will be setting up new testing sites throughout this area to find out if these bears are here to stay.

Deer Hunter Mauled By Black Bear

November 28, 2005

A deer hunter in Mobile county, Alabama was mauled or bitten on the knee by a Black Bear near the town of Turnerville. Kenneth Scoggin of Chunchula, Alabama underwent surgery at Springhill Medical Center in Mobile Friday night. Scoggin tolf the Mobile Register that he just knew he was a goner when the beat bit him. Scoggin said that he was near the end of his deer hunt near the Bush Coon Hunting Club when he heard a grunt. "By the time I saw her and she saw me, up the tree she came" Scoggin said. Scoggin said that he was at least 30 foot up the pine tree in a climbing tree stand, hung onto the seat of the stand and his safety harness was unhooked. The bear climbed up the tree, bit him on the right knee and wouldn't let go, he said. She was hanging onto the meat of of his knee and he was hanging onto the seat of the climbing stand, Scoggin said. When the meat of his knee gave way, the bear fell to the ground and Scoggin got his pistol out. He said the bear started to climb the tree again and he shot it four or five times with his .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The bear fell to the ground a second time and Scoggin fired a shot from his deer rifle killing the bear. He used a cell phone to call a neighbor for help.

Daniel Powell, coordinator of the Alabama Black Bear Alliance, said the bear that bit Scoggin was a female with two cubs, although the cubs have not been recovered. Black Bears with cubs are aggressive when they have cubs and shouldn't be approached. The chances of a mother Black Bear with cubs attacking humans is about one in 100,000 times.

The bear's body was taken for testing by the Game and Fish division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

You can report Alabama bear sign or sightings to the Alabama Wildlife Federation: 1-800-822-9453

I am getting loads of SPAM or JUNK EMAIL as they call it and only trying to hide from this junk email. This is an attempt to stop the automatic "harvesting" of my email address from my web site. All those junk emails is getting just too much to bear. To send email to me, use the address below:

Note: You will need to type it into your email "Send To" window, because the email address above is a picture file. Thanks!

Hopefully the automatic email harvesting routines will not be able to figure this out...Yet!!

Thanks for your email!