Black bears and mountain lions were once common in this region, but have been eradicated in recent decades. The area around Niagara also boasts one of the largest and most varied populations of amphibians and reptiles.

While you are unlikely to encounter a bear while standing at the popular tourist railings in downtown Niagara Falls, New York or Ontario, black bears are indeed native to the broader Niagara region. The surrounding Niagara Escarpment, which is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, provides a natural corridor of forest and rocky terrain that supports a variety of wildlife. Occasionally, a black bear may wander into the more rural outskirts of the Niagara Parks system or be spotted in the nearby conservation areas like the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area. However, sightings near the actual cascades are extremely rare because of the high density of human activity and urban development. For a guaranteed (and safe) sighting, visitors often go to Safari Niagara in nearby Stevensville, which houses American Black Bears and Syrian Brown Bears. If you are hiking in the more remote wooded trails of the Niagara Glen or further along the escarpment, it is always a good idea to follow standard "bear country" precautions, such as making noise and properly disposing of food waste, though the chances of a wild encounter remain very low compared to more northern regions of Canada or the Adirondacks.