While out camping, we encountered a young Arizona brown bear. One might think that black bears are born brown and become black as they age. Or perhaps they are brown bears, not black bears at all, and an entirely different species.

In reality the brown bear is synonymous with a grizzly bear. Only our more Northern states have grizzlies: Alaska, Washington, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho… and Canada. Arizona only has black bears.

Arizona black bears can have different fur colors. The color changes are a result of a 9,000 year old genetic mutation, similar to albinism, according to Smithsonian Magazine. It’s believed that the bears mutated as a result of environmental influences and have bred widely spreading and evolving the species since. Arizona black bears can come in varying hues of sandy blonde, brown, and cinnamon.

The bears forage for insects, berries, and acorns. We watched with fascination as this young brown-colored black bear overturned huge rocks with it’s massive paws, or rolled over logs, a mere mortal couldn’t budge looking for potential grubs underneath.

In all the years we have lived in Arizona we have seen a number of bear. All of our bear sightings have been fleeting and brief, as they ran at the very sight of a human. We felt especially privileged to have had the opportunity to stealthily observe this young bear in it’s environment. It was a memorable, thrilling experience.