Wild Animals: The Great Grizzly Bear

When I was young girl, my father worked on the Alaskan Pipeline. While he was often gone for months a time, he always sent us lots of postcards, letters, and photographs. Quite often, wild animals would come into their camp and my father loved to take pictures of timber wolves, ptarmigan, ground squirrels, and Alaskan grizzly bears. The grizzly bears were his favorite - my father respected not only the strength of the grizzly bear, but he was also fascinated by the various antics and almost human behaviorisms of this massive brown bear.

An Introduction to the Grizzly

The grizzly bear is one of the largest members of the brown bear family (topped only by the gigantic Kodiak bear). They're generally found in the northern parts of Western North America, particularly Canada and Alaska, where humans have not pushed their way too deeply into the wilderness. The grizzly bear also shares a home with rival wolves and his smaller cousin, the black bear, at Yellowstone National Park. This massive park is centered in the state of Wyoming, but also spans out to encompass parts of Idaho and Montana, providing many Americans the opportunity to meet the amazing grizzly bear. If you're not able to visit Yellowstone National Park to see one for yourself, hopefully this article will help to introduce you to this magnificent brown bear.

Grizzly Bear Facts

Also known as the silver-tip bear, the Grizzly is an impressive individual that can weigh more than 1300 pounds, with the males standing more than 8 feet high on their back legs. Quite often, their size is determined by their geographic location - for instance, grizzly bears in the Yukon region often weigh less than 300 pounds, while Alaskan grizzly bears commonly weigh anywhere from 800-1000 pounds, with some specimens even surpassing that figure. Generally, the males are the largest of the family, with papa bear usually averaging 8-10% larger than his female counterpart. Regardless of size however, the grizzly bear is a force to be reckoned with; beautiful, fast and strong, they are skilled hunters and fiercely defend their territory.

The Grizzly prefers a solitary life style, with males and females only spending a short amount of time in one another's company when the salmon spawn or when they are getting ready to mate. Females with cubs tend to be especially cautious and keep to themselves, because male grizzlies can be a great danger to a mother grizzly bear and her clubs, particularly if he's hungry. Grizzly bears are omnivores, meaning that they eat a wide variety of things, from plants to insects or even meat and, sadly, think nothing about resorting to cannibalism if they're hungry enough. Mother grizzly bears must be vigilant and always on the watch for trespassing male grizzlies.

What Do Grizzly Bears Eat?

As previously mentioned, the Grizzly is a well-adapted omnivore, who is capable of eating just about anything he desires. Some days, he might try and steal a deer or elk carcass from a local wolf pack, provided he can run off the happy canine hunters. Other days, he might resort to picking berries or eating insects. Grizzlies are particularly fond of fresh salmon and will eagerly gorge themselves on spawning salmon every year. It's amazing to watch how skilled they are at fishing!

The Grizzly Bear Appearance

Amusingly, while the grizzly bear is named for the grizzled gray hairs throughout his fur, naturalist George Ord misunderstood the Bears' name. Thinking them 'grisly' rather than grizzly, he gave them the Latin name Ursus arctos horribilis, hence the strange meaning of his name. We have to say that, while the Grizzly bear is intimidating, he's certainly not horrible!

The Grizzly Bear ranges in color from a pale yellowish blond to a rich red, a deep dark brown or even shades of gray, again intermingled with the abundance of gray hairs that gives them the grizzled pattern, hence their name. They are also well noted for the large developed hump over their shoulders, their long claws and longer skull, resembling that of the Polar Bear.

Interesting to note is that the grizzly bear's skull most closely resembles that of the polar bear than any other species of bear. Equally fascinating is that there are also such things as Grizzly Bear hybrids out in the world - large white or cream colored bears with grizzly colored masks and extremities. These unique Grizzly bear hybrids are often known as Prizzly Bears and have been known to occur both in the wild and captivity.

Grizzly Bear Cubs

When they're first-born, baby grizzlies weigh only about 1 pound each. The female grizzly only mates every other year, and gives birth to anywhere between one and four young. Two babies are the most common, and the smaller the litter, the better the chances of survival. The mother Grizzly bear (also called a sow), is fiercely protective of her young and will attack any potential threats. In fact, about 70% of all grizzly bear attacks on humans are due to a mother Grizzly bear feeling threatened or thinking her cubs are in danger.

In the beginning, grizzly bear cubs survive on their mother's milk. As weeks pass however, the mother grizzly bear will eventually take a cubs out of the bear den, and will begin to teach them how to hunt and forage for food. It's not uncommon for baby grizzlies to stay with their mother for anywhere between 2-4 years, when she finally decides to mate anew and sends the youngsters out on their own.

In Summation

The grizzly bear may appear like a cute and cuddly teddy bear, but he is still a wild animal and should be respected as such. The majority of bear attacks are the result of ignorance or misinformation, so it's important to speak with a ranger or game warden if you're planning on camping in Grizzly bear territory. He will be sure to tell you the ins and outs and what to do in the event of a bear attack. Additionally, it may be a good idea to carry a can of pepper spray with you, just to be safe.

Sadly, the Mexican Grizzly is extinct now, but contentious people have been rallying Grizzly bear numbers throughout the rest of the world. While still threatened, due to human encroachment into their territories and lack of sustainable food, the Grizzly Bear is attempting to make a comeback. Treated with respect, they are a wonder to behold, for young and old alike!

Sources:

Associated Press: Wild Find - Information on the hybrid Grizzlies
National Geographic - General info on Grizzly Bears
Defenders of Wildlife - Information on Grizzly Bears
My father, Victor Wood