American Black Bears are endangered for many reasons. The two main reasons being;
- Severe loss of its habitat. - Human-caused mortality. Deforestation has been a major problem for Ohio's Black Bear population. Only a little over 1.2 million acres in Ohio are currently under permanent protection by federal, state and local governments as well as private conservation organizations. Of Ohio's 26.4 million acres, approximately 13.6 million acres (52%) are agricultural, 7.1 million acres (27%) are forested, and 3.6 million acres (14%) are developed or urban areas. In 1940, the total acres of forested land in Ohio comprised approximately 15% of the state. By 1997, the total forested acreage had nearly doubled to 27% of the state. The population of bears has benefited from this exponentially. But the surplus in forest areas brought unwanted company... |
Hunting for sport has always been a favorite activity in many countries, including America. Sadly, American Black Bears are no exception to the many "prizes" of this sport. People have been hunting bears since before written history (or so we believe). So, what is the difference between then and now? Back then, we hunted because we needed to (food, warmth, resources, etc.). Now, we do it because it's considered just another sport.
Black bears have been hunted in Ohio since 1850. This has greatly affected their population, only leaving an estimate of about 50-100 individual bears left in the state of Ohio in 2016. Bear fur is considered extremely valuable for trade and clothing design. Bear fur coats ($399.95+) and handbags ($199.00+) being the most popular of bear clothing items along with the classic bear skin rug ($1,695.00+). But fur is not the only valuable part of a bear. Many people specialize in the buying and selling of bear teeth, claws, bones, meat/organs, and even bile. |
So, Why Does This Concern You?
I bet you're thinking, "Why does this concern me?" or, "What does this have to do with me at all?". Well, Bears are a big part of our ecosystem. Find out more on the next page -> (Why Should You Care?)