CA May Have The World's Densest Population Of This Large Apex Predator

CALIFORNIA — California may be home to the densest black bear population on Earth, according to state wildlife authorities.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife announced its Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan for California this month. The plan serves as an update to a 1998 plan and sheds light on some surprising findings.

The state contains an estimated 60,000 black bears — one of the largest populations in the country, according to the department, which said the population has been stable for the last decade.

California’s highest reported density of the animals is 156 black bears per 100 square kilometers near Klamath in Del North County. There are also 133 bears per 100 square kilometers on the west side of the Hoopa Valley Reservation and 84 bears per 100 square kilometers in the Lake Tahoe Basin, according to the plan.

“These densities are among the highest recorded for black bears across their range, with the Klamath estimate exceeding the second-highest reported density across the species’ range," the plan said, noting that second-highest number is a reported density from Alaska of 155 black bears per 100 square kilometers.

“Based on this, California may be home to the densest recorded population of black bears in the world.”

The plan’s goals are to conserve and manage black bear populations that are ecologically functional, disease-resilient and genetically diverse, and to provide opportunities for bear hunting, viewing and education, and to minimize human-bear conflict, according to the department.

“The Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan for California aims to balance the many diverse viewpoints about black bears while greatly enhancing our ability to ensure healthy populations in the future,” department Director Charlton Bonham said in a news release.

The plan was developed using peer-reviewed scientific methods and public engagement, with a draft released a year ago receiving comments and input from over 5,000 people and groups.

Due to California’s size and ecological diversity, the plan divides the state into nine bear conservation regions where populations will be monitored and managed independently.

To view the full plan, visit nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=231227&inline.