North Carolina black bears are overachievers. They can run up to 30 miles per hour to reach something that looks or smells good enough to eat. They pant to release heat and don’t sweat, which — for the ones that endure sticky summers on the Albemarle Peninsula, where there are four black bears per square mile — is an impressive feat. They are also among the largest mammals in North Carolina, and our state holds the record for the largest black bear captured in the world: an 880-pound fella from Craven County. One particular black bear named Hobo even worked with photographer Hugh Morton in 1972 as the face of an advertising campaign. Hobo was one of our state’s most famous bears, appearing on 16 television stations and posing in front of landmarks around the state to raise money for what would become the North Carolina Zoo.
Although we don’t often interact with them, these shy creatures have become symbols of pride for mountain and coastal residents who catch glimpses of them snacking in cornfields, climbing trees, or, occasionally, rifling through trash cans. Black bears are the embodiment of North Carolina’s adventurous spirit, immense and wild.
At Crema Brew in New Bern, meet Bearista Bear, who’s dressed just like the real baristas serving coffee inside, or spend an afternoon at Union Point Park with Greenzly, the nature-loving bear (right). photograph by Matt Ray Photography, VisitNC.com
Bears are everywhere in New Bern. Some sport suits and bow ties or pearls, while others help direct traffic at George Street or greet customers at Crema Brew.
In 1710, Swiss and Palatine Germans, whose leader was from Bern, Switzerland, settled on the Neuse River. They named their village New Bern, carrying over the old Germanic word for “bear” and cementing the animal as the city’s mascot.
For the town’s 300th anniversary in 2010, 50 fiberglass bears were sponsored by local businesses and painted by artists. Now, there are nearly 90 scattered across town.
To find a list of New Bern’s bear statues, pick up a map from the New Bern-Craven County Convention & Visitors Center, or find it online at visitnewbern.com.
Keep an eye out for the annual NC Black Bear Festival held in Plymouth each summer — this event includes bear tours around Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, paddling trips on Conaby Creek, live music, and more family-friendly activities.
For more information about the North Carolina Black Bear Festival, visit ncbearfest.com.
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North Carolina is known for many things, but nothing more important this week than the qualities of endurance, resilience, and hope.
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