Brown Bear

The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is a species of bear that can reach weights of 130–700 kg (300–1500 pounds). The Grizzly Bear, the Kodiak Bear and the Mexican Brown Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear. It is sometimes referred to poetically as the bruin.

Brown Bears have coats in shades of blond, brown, black, or a combination of those colours; the long outer guard hairs are often tipped with white or silver, giving a "grizzled" appearance. Brown Bears have a large hump of muscle over their shoulders which gives strength to the forelimbs for digging. Their heads are large and round with a concave facial profile. In spite of their size, they can run at speeds of up to 64 km/h (40 mph).

Once native to Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, [1] Brown Bears are now extinct in some areas and have had their numbers greatly reduced in others. They prefer semi-open country, usually in mountainous areas. The Brown Bear ranges from Alaska east through the Yukon and Northwest Territories, south through British Columbia and through the western half of Alberta. Isolated populations exist in northwestern Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana, and northwestern Wyoming. The subspecies U. arctos horribilis (the Grizzly Bear) is the common Brown Bear of continental North America; the subspecies U. arctos middendorffi (Kodiak Bear) includes bears on the Alaskan islands of Kodiak, Afognak, and Shuyak . The range of the subspecies U. arctos nelsoni is in northern Mexico.

There are estimated to be about 200,000 Brown Bears in the world. The largest populations are in Russia, with 120,000, United States with 32,500 and Canada with 21,750. Brown Bears are found in small populations in much of Europe from Spain to Russia. There are 14,000 in ten separate population in Europe. 95% of Brown Bears in the United States are in Alaska.

The Brown Bear is primarily nocturnal and in the summer puts on up to 180 kg (400 pounds) of fat, on which it relies to make it through winter, when it becomes very lethargic. Although they are not true hibernators and can be woken easily, they like to den up in a protected spot such as a cave, crevice or hollow log during the winter months.

Being omnivores, they feed on a variety of plant parts, including berries, roots, and sprouts; fungi; and fish, insects and small mammals. Brown Bears are largely vegetarian, deriving up to 75% of their dietary food energy from vegetable matter. Interestingly, bears eat an enormous number of moths during the summer—sometimes as many as 20,000 to 40,000 in a day—and may derive up to one third of their food energy from moths.

Brown bears have also been found stealing the kills of tigers, wolves, and pumas. Two male tigers were found killed by brown bear in the year 2000.

Normally a solitary animal, the Brown Bear congregates alongside streams and rivers during the salmon spawn. Every other year females produce one to four young which weigh only one pound at birth.

The subspecies of Brown Bear have been listed as follows; however, there is little agreement on classification:

• Ursus arctos arctos — Brown Bear.
• Ursus arctos horribilis — Grizzly Bear.
• Ursus arctos middendorffi — Kodiak Bear.
• Ursus arctos nelsoni — Mexican Grizzly Bear, possibly extinct.
• Ursus arctos californicus — Golden Bear, extinct.
• Ursus arctos yesoensis — Hokkaido Bear.

Legal status

The Grizzly Bear (sometimes called the Silvertip Bear) is listed as threatened in the coterminous United States.

• The Golden Bear disappeared from the state of California in 1922 when the last one was shot in Tulare County, California. It can be seen on the state flag of California and as the mascot of the sports teams of the University of California, Berkeley.
• The Mexican Grizzly Bear is listed as endangered.
• The Grizzly Bear is state listed as endangered in Washington. In Canada, it is listed as vulnerable in Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and Yukon Territory. Prairie populations of Grizzly Bear are listed as extirpated in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Bear encounters

It is extremly rare that brown bears kill or seriously injure humans but fatal encounters do happen. In Scandinavia there are only three known cases during the last 100 years where humans have been killed by bears. This has usually happened because the bear is injured or a human encounters a mother bear with cubs. Also, other types of bears, such as polar bears, are more likely to attack humans when searching for food.

The Scandinavian Bear Research project lists the following situations as potentially dangerous:

1. Meeting an injured bear
2. A human suddenly appearing between a mother and her cubs
3. Meeting a bear in its cave
4. Meeting a bear who has been provoked by a dog

A careful person should always try to avoid these situations. Anybody who walks in a forest where there are bears could carry around a bell since bears usually avoid humans. If somebody still meets a bear it is important to remain calm and to slowly walk in the opposite direction. A running human may give the bear the impulse to attack. It is important not to make threatening moves or to shout. If a bear attacks and it is not possible to get away, the person should lie down in a fetal position and put his/her hands around the head to protect from bites.

External links

• National Geographic Creature Feature: Brown Bears
• GrizzlyBear.org
• Bears
• Largest Skulls - Black Bear