 Ursus americanus or the American Black Bear American Black Bear is on the ODNR Endangered Specifies list. |
The bear is quite black, has short ears, a thick head and quite a sharp snout. It has but a very short tail and great strong claws on his feet. It can easily climb the trees and bring down chestnuts and acorns...They generally break off the branches, throw them down and then climb down to consume the nuts. Where there is food and mast they are found. It is as if they knew that in this or that region it would be good for them to live.
David Zeisberger's History of North American Indians, 1779-80.