An Introduction to the Grizzly Bear

If you’re heading out on a bear-watching tour in Canada, you should arm yourself with as much information as possible before you go. Although an expert guide will accompany you on your bear-watching tour, it’s always a good idea to have some basic information at your disposal.

Introducing the brown bear

The Grizzly is actually a subspecies of the Brown Bear, which inhabits western Canada and the northwestern United States. It stands 2.5 meters tall and a fully grown adult male can weigh 360 kg.

hold to live

These animals have very cleverly adapted to their environment, and throughout the seasons their behavior changes to suit the conditions. In the warmer months, they eat a lot to replenish their body’s supply of fat, so that during the winter when they are hibernating, they will have enough energy to survive. A daily intake can be equivalent to 40 kg of food and cause a weight gain of 1 kg in 24 hours. The most interesting thing is that they actually get most of their nutrition not from large amounts of meat, but from nuts, fruits, leaves, insects, and roots. Small animals such as sheep and rodents, as well as fish, also make up a small part of their diet. When food is scarce they will dig into the ground with their long claws and make good use of their strong shoulder muscles and you may see evidence of this throughout the duration of your bear viewing tours.

shelter for hibernation

Bears inhabit their dens during the winter months and fall into a deep sleep to conserve as much energy as possible to survive. Her heart rate slows to just eight beats per minute, and if a woman is pregnant during this time, she can even give birth while she sleeps.

survival skills

These animals have enormous physical and mental strength. They are intelligent, have a good memory and their sense of smell is so good that they can detect food from quite a distance. They also run fast and can swim very well and the young can also climb trees.

Grizzly bears are unfortunately on the threatened wildlife list. Despite being so powerfully equipped, they are no match for the threat posed by humans. With increased logging encroaching on their habitat and coming into conflict with humans through no fault of their own, their survival is in jeopardy. However, much is currently being done to try to reverse these negative effects, and bear-watching tours are a great way to raise awareness and educate people about their plight.