How Secure Are BC's Bears?

Habitat     Where Are All The Bears?     How Secure Are Our Bears?     Ecological Relationships     You & Your Environment

 Source: Gov. of BC  

 Black Bear Population

•  There are approximately 800,000 Black Bears in North America. 

  • British Columbia and Ontario have the largest populations of black bears of all Canadian provinces 

Do you know which of Canada's provinces and territories
has no Black Bears at all?
Answer P.E.I. Bears in BC  

•  The population of Black Bears in BC is actually at an all-time high!  

• There are actually more black bears in BC now, than there were in 1870 

In 1870 there were about 80,000 black bears in BC. 
How many are there today (approximately)?
Answer 120,000 Bears in BC  

•  The BC Wildlife Branch estimates there are between 120,000 and 160,000 Black Bears in our province  

  You can learn more about Black Bear Population & Trends 

Status Of Black Bears In BC 

•  No bear species in BC is considered endangered:

  • Endangered or Threatened: refers to a species that faces imminent extirpation or extinction 

  • Vulnerable or Sensitive: refers to a species of concern due to the sensitivity to human activities or natural events that may eventually threaten or endanger them 

    • Black Bears are found in virtually every part of BC and are neither endangered nor vulnerable! 

    • Although Glacier or Blue Bears are listed as vulnerable  

•  Black Bears live a long time (20+ years) 

  • And, they have learned to adjust to the changing environment and to adapt to human activities – much better than the Grizzly Bears 

Hollow trees make good black bear dens. Can you think of other places?
Answers Stumps Logs Roots Bears in BC  

Click to find out more about Black Bear habitat  and  the loss of large hollow trees, root boles and logs for safe denning 

 
Grizzly Bear Population

Half of Canada's Grizzly Bear population lives in BC:  One out of every four bears remaining in North America lives in BC   There are about 13,000 grizzly bears in British Columbia:

Are there Grizzlies on Vancouver Island?
Answer No, just Black Bears Bears in BC  

Overall BC the population of Grizzly Bears is currently stable:

• 92% of BC’s Grizzly Bear habitat is still occupied by Grizzlies 

• 81% of that habitat has Grizzly Bears at or near historic levels 

Click to learn more about: Grizzly Bear Population and Trends  

Status Of Grizzly Bears 

	Grizzlies are neither threatened nor endangered in BC!
	In British Columbia's past, only the outer coast and islands were not occupied Grizzly Bear habitat
	BC has lost Grizzly Bear habitat around communities where cities have been built and in heavily farmed areas, like in:  The Lower Mainland  The Thompson-Okanagan  Peace
	Some areas of the Grizzly Bear habitat are designated as vulnerable:

Learn more about  Habitat Conservation – how some areas of the province are protected 

Black Bear Sources:  Bears In BC - Hinterland - BC Government
Grizzly Sources:  Bears In BC - Hinterland - BC Government - Grizzly Bears In BC

What does "Endangered" and "Vulnerable" mean ... Facts & Fun Stuff

If you're interested in endangered species...find out What You Can Do To Help!

Learn about the importance of wildlife in other communities Canadian Wildlife Service-Habitat Conservation

	Web www.bearaware.bc.ca