Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Bears

This cave bear probably lived between 22,000 and 39,500 years ago, and researchers hope to get a better estimate with closer study.

Ice Age Cave Bear Found Preserved in Permafrost on Siberian Island

According to preliminary analysis, the bear is between 22,000 and 39,500 years old

All grizzly bears in the United States are considered "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act and cannot be hunted, a federal appeals court ruled this month.

Protections for Grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Area Upheld in Court

For over a decade, the protected status of grizzly bears under the Endangered Species Act has been under fire

The Melbourne Zoo welcomed three baby snow leopard cubs in February.

Celebrate Mother’s Day With Nine Baby Animal Livestreams

This Sunday, celebrate the moms of the animal kingdom with kittens, polar bear cubs, eaglets and more

Bear Family of Kamchatka

This Photographer Goes to the Ends of the Earth to Capture Rarely Viewed Animals

Roie Galitz considers himself an ambassador for the creatures he photographs, capturing their intimate moments in hopes of inspiring conservation

CT scan of a newborn panda cub.

Pandamonium

Panda Bears Have Teeny Tiny Babies, and We Don’t Know Why

Panda moms are 900 times bigger than their cubs and a new study disputes the theory it’s related to hibernation

Let the battle of the bulge commence

Trending Today

Holly Cow! Fattest Bear of Them All Claims Coveted Title

For #FatBearWeek2019, the furever fabulous 435 Holly reigns triumphant

The bear was only a few years old and had become comfortable around humans.

A Young Black Bear Was Put Down After Humans Fed It, Took Selfies

The more food bears obtain from humans, the more likely they are to lose their natural fear of us

Around 20 percent of the time, the bears returned a playmate’s expression within one second of seeing it

Sun Bears Mimic Each Other’s Facial Expressions to Communicate

Previously, precise facial mimicry has only been observed in humans and gorillas

A polar bear on the pack ice north of Svalbard, Norway

Climate Changes Bears Down on This Remote Russian Settlement

The surge of hungry four-legged visitors to Belushya Guba is part of a larger trend

Why Experts Are Troubled by a Viral Video of a Baby Bear’s Mountain Climb

The cub and its mother appear to have been disturbed by the drone that shot the footage

Katmai National Park and Preserve has a ton of chubby cubbies. But which bear's bulk will bury the competition in the 2018 Fat Bear Week?

Trending Today

Time to Get Jiggily With it, Fat Bear Week Is Upon Us

Your vote will determine which fish-chomping ursine competitor in Katmai National Park and Preserve is the chubbiest cubby of them all

Grizzly Bear in Yellowstone National Park

Federal Judge Cancels Yellowstone Grizzly Hunt, Restores Species Protections

The judge found that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service had acted ‘arbitrarily and capriciously’ in removing federal protections for the species

DNA of Extinct Cave Bear Lives on in Modern Brown Bears

A new genetic study has found that the two species interbred

A Polar Bear Released Back Into the Wild by Helicopter

A marauding polar bear is about to be returned to the the wild, as far away as possible from the town of Churchill

How Churchill Protects Itself From Polar Bears

Conservationists have tracked down a polar bear who has taken to venturing into nearby Churchill. The next step is to airlift him by helicopter

We may see them as pests, but raccoons see humans as ripe for plundering. According to Suzanne MacDonald, they are "the only animal that would break into captivity because they think it’s a better deal."

How Humans Created the Ultimate Superpests

As urbanization continues to push wildlife to the brink, humans may need to reevaluate their role in habitat destruction

Polar bears have come to be known as climate change's ultimate victim, but in some places, they're still a menace to humans.

Where the Doomed, Beloved Polar Bear Is Still a Dangerous Predator

A grassroots guard in Alaska works to keep people safe from bears, while also keeping bears safe from people

Russell and his partner Maureen Enns befriended wild bears, spending months each year living among them—romping, swimming, and fishing.

Charlie Russell, a Naturalist Who Lived Among Bears, Has Died at 76

He hoped to show that bears are not inherently aggressive animals

Bear paw wrapped in a tilapia fish skin bandage to protect burns while they heal.

Wildlife Burned in California Fires Get Fish Skin Bandages

Two bears and a cougar cub are recovering with their wounds wrapped in tilapia skin

A Polar Bear Released Back Into the Wild by Helicopter

A marauding polar bear is about to be returned to the the wild, as far away as possible from the town of Churchill

Page 5 of 8