Do grizzly bears live in North Carolina?

Yes. The black bear in NC is found today in two distinct populations, one in the western part of the state, inhabiting the mountains, and another in the coastal plain, inhabiting pine forests and coastal swamps.

The bear was once found statewide, but as the central part of the state was developed, the bear retreated to the wild areas west and east of the piedmont region. The bear population today has increased, and a few wandering bears (usually young males without a territory of their own) cross the piedmont, and are seen in the big cities of that region.

The world record black bear was killed in North Carolina, a huge 880 pounds, from the coastal plain, where the bears grow somewhat larger than their cousins in the mountains, because of the vast amount of food grown in the area.