In the past, a large population of black bears were found throughout the State of Mississippi. Today, there are only about 200-250 black bears left.
Where do bears live in Mississippi?
Bears are woodland animals and can be found mostly in and near large tracts of bottomland forests and mixed hardwood forests along the Mississippi, Pearl, and Pascagoula Rivers. However, they are very adaptable and can be seen passing through many different habitat types.
Most of the bear sightings and known resident bears in Mississippi are in the Delta, southwest, and southeast portions of the state. Bears swim the Mississippi River from Arkansas and Louisiana, where nearby breeding populations occur. Recent research has shown that breeding habitats occur in the Mississippi Delta in portions of Bolivar, Sharkey, Issaquena, Warren, and Wilkinson counties.