Black Bear in Alaska

The American black bear lives across much of mainland Alaska, with up to 100,000 bears in the state. Alaskan black bears vary in coat, including the silvery-blue glacier bear of Southeast Alaska.[1][2]

Size and colour

In east-central Alaska’s Yukon Flats males averaged 87.3 kilograms and females 63.4 kilograms, while adults on Kuiu Island in Southeast Alaska, where salmon are abundant, averaged 115 kilograms. The glacier or blue bear (emmonsii) is silvery-gray with a blue sheen and is found in southeastern Alaska.[1]

Diet

Black bears eat up to 85 percent vegetation, shifting from shoots and grasses in spring to berries in summer and nuts and berries in fall. Insects make up most of the animal portion, and coastal bears fish for salmon, often at night.[1]

Denning and life span

Dens are entered in October and November, and hibernation lasts three to eight months. The average wild life span is 18 years. In Alaska, survival of subadults to adulthood is 14 to 17 percent for males and 30 to 48 percent for females.[1]

Population

Up to 100,000 black bears live in Alaska, mostly on the mainland.[2]

FAQs

How many black bears are in Alaska? Up to 100,000.

What is a glacier bear? A silvery-gray colour phase of black bear in Southeast Alaska.

What do they eat? Mostly vegetation, plus insects and salmon.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: American black bear
2. Wikipedia: Wildlife of Alaska

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue