At one time black bears were found in the oak woodlands of the Central Valley. The Black Bear, regardless of how friendly he may seem, is a dangerous, wild animal, capable of inflicting severe injury by one blow of his powerful paw or a bite from his well- armed jaws. A visitor who feeds or even approaches a bear too closely not only is risking injury to himself but is contributing to a condition that may cause the injury of an innocent visitor in the future. Feeding is also violating regulations which have been established in an attempt to provide protection for the visitor and the animal. While the loss of natural habitat is a major threat to the black bear, and many other species, the illegal trade in black bear gall bladders is a growing concern.
Bears are omnivorous, eating a wide variety of both plant and animal material.
Regular dietary items may include grass, berries, buds, flowers, fruit, fish, small mammals such as rabbits and raccoons and sometimes carrion. A student's project on-line. This page was last updated February 2000.