American BisonBison bison

Bison are only distantly related to true buffalo, such as those found in Africa and Asia.  Bison have a large, humped back; true buffalo do not. To the Lakota, the bison was called “tatanka,” meaning “bull.” During the 15th century, bison dominated the American plains with numbers over 60 million. The Plains Indians depended on the animal for survival and used every part of the bison.

Animal Class

Mammal

Diet

Herbivore

Status in Wild

Vulnerable

Black BearsUrsus americanus

Despite their name, Black Bears can be blue-gray or blue-black, brown, cinnamon, or even (very rarely) white.  Black Bears are North America’s most familiar and common bear.

Black Bears are very opportunistic eaters. Most of their diet consists of grasses, roots, berries, and insects. They will also eat fish, mammals, carrion, and easily develop a taste for human food and garbage.

Animal Class

Mammal

Diet

Omnivore

Status in Wild

Stable

Brown BearsUrsus arctos

Brown bears have an excellent sense of smell and are able to follow the scent of a rotting carcass for more than two miles.  They have human-level hearing, but relatively poor eyesight.

Brown bears are not true hibernators, and may be easily awakened in the winter.

Animal Class

Mammal

Diet

Omnivore

Status in Wild

Stable

Red WolfCanis rufus

Just like their name implies, red wolves are known for the reddish color of their fur behind their ears and along their neck and legs. Red Wolves are mostly brown or buff colored with some black along their backs.   

Red Wolves are extremely endangered.  It is estimated that there are fewer than a hundred Red Wolves surviving in northeastern North Carolina; this is the world’s only wild population of Red Wolves.

Animal Class

Mammal

Diet

Carnivore

Status in Wild

Critically Endangered