Yes, there are black bears in Fairview Forest. However, humans and bears can both live on the mountain if residents take steps to keep the bears wild and prevent them from becoming a problem. The black bear is the largest wild animal found in North Carolina. They can run up to 30 miles per hour for short distances, climb easily and swim well. Bears are extremely agile for their size, sometimes standing erect to smell or see better.
Bears communicate with various facial and body expressions.
They also whine, snort, roar, bawl and snap their teeth. They are near-sighted, but have a keen sense of smell. Bears vary in size, with adult males generally being larger and weighing 300 to 600 pounds. Adult females generally weigh 150 to 200 pounds. Bears have five clawed toes on each foot and teeth that enable them to eat almost anything, from ants to zinnias.