Black bear swimming in Quebec, Canada in 2012 (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

18 June 2026

Five hundred years ago elk, bison, wolves and mountain lions roamed the eastern U.S., including Pennsylvania, but now we never see them in Pittsburgh.

The closest we get to a mountain lion are the four cougar statues immortalized as “panthers” on the Panther Hollow Bridge in Schenley Park.

Panther statue at Panther Hollow Bridge (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Some of these large animals are making a comeback in the East, thanks in part to habitat restoration and reintroduction, as described by Andrew Moore in his new book The Beasts of the East: The Fall and Rise of America’s Eastern Wilderness.

book cover The Beasts of the East by Andrew Moore

Andrew and Boaz Frankel talked about the large animals that used to live here as they walked in Schenley Park last week.

They never mentioned the black bears who used to live here, were gone for a long time, and are now making a comeback on their own.

Black bear in western Pennsylvania, May 2010 (photo by Chuck Tague)

This week a black bear is roaming North Park, running across the street, and swimming in the lake. CBS Pittsburgh reports, “The Pennsylvania Game Commission is monitoring the situation. … Visitors are asked to use caution, give the bear plenty of space and keep their dogs on leashes. Don’t try to interact with the bear.”

Read more about the black bear in this CBS Pittsburgh article.

Learn more about Beasts of the East when Andrew Moore presents his new book at Greentree Public Library on June 24th. Registration is required for this event.