Louisiana Black Bear

Our state mammal! The Louisiana black bear is a specific species of American black bear and is also a recent conservation success. In 1992, the Louisiana black bear was listed as threatened due to deforestation that occurred throughout the state in the earlier part of the century, but after multiple paths of action were taken, the bear was removed from the list in 2016. The Atchafalaya Basin is an important habitat for these bears, who depend on both the basin’s extensive tree cover and waterways for survival. Wildlife and Fisheries manages different protected areas for these bears and Louisiana black bear hunting is banned. It’s not incredibly common to see a Louisiana black bear in the wild, however the bears have been spotted in nearly every parish along the coast!