American Black Bear, 2024 (Wildlife America by Schleich)

The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is the smallest and most wide-ranging bear species in North America. They’re found from coast-to-coast, from Alaska to Mexico, where they prefer forested environments. Once found in every state in the U.S. their population has been greatly reduced, especially in the Midwest, but they’ve been steadily repopulating areas they were previously extirpated from. Along with the brown bear the American black bear is listed as least concern by the IUCN, they’re the only two bear species that aren’t threatened in some capacity.

The black bear’s success is largely due to its generalist diet. Black bears consume everything from nuts, berries, and insects to large game such as deer, elk, and caribou. They also consume livestock, crops, and garbage, which draws them close to human dwellings. Although aggressive encounters with black bears are rare, they’re more likely to attack out of hunger than territorial defense like a brown bear. So, while playing dead might work with a brown bear, it’s advised that you fight back with a black bear. Playing dead just makes you easier to eat!

The American black bear is a popular animal in the toy industry and there are many options to choose from. I was originally going to get Safari’s standing black bear but when I chanced across the Schleich 2024 model I couldn’t see a compelling reason not to get it and changed my plans.

Although it’s the smallest bear in North America the American black bear is the third largest of the eight bear species, with large black bears overlapping in size with small brown bears. Black bears typically have a head-to-body length of 47-79” (120-200 cm) and a shoulder height of 28-42” (70-105 cm). Males (boars) typically weigh 126–551 lbs. (57–250 kg.) while females (sows) weigh on average between 90–375 lbs. (41–170 kg.). Exceptionally large bears can weigh between 800-1,000 lbs. (362-453 kg.). The Schleich bear measures about 4” (10 cm) long and stands 2” (5 cm) tall at the shoulder. This puts the figure at 1/14-1/21 in scale when using the average shoulder height.

The figure is presented in a casual stroll with the head looking rightward. The body is covered with finely sculpted hairs that adhere closely to the figure’s body, allowing us to appreciate the underlying musculature along the neck and shoulders. The hair is a bit shaggier and more roughly textured on the underside of the neck and chest and along the belly. The proportionally long hindlegs lift the backside, creating a sloping rump that’s higher than the shoulders. In grizzlies the shoulders are higher than the rump and this difference between them can be useful in identification. The digits are nicely defined but the claws are blunted at the tips. Pads are sculpted on the underside of the feet.

This figure is painted entirely black, which should come as no surprise. Black bears do come in other colors though, including various shades of brown, blonde, gray, white, and cinnamon. The muzzle is tipped in brown and while I would have preferred it if the entire muzzle was brown, I don’t consider it a big deal. The eyes are brown with black pupils and the claws are gray. The bottoms of the feet are brown, but Schleich would have been better off leaving them black, as they tend to be in nature.

Although there is a plethora of black bear figures to choose from, the latest one from Schleich is one of the better options available and a worthy addition to any bear collection. The Schleich black bear is currently available and retails for about $7.99.