Grizzly Bears

This page is all about grizzly bears. The word "grizzly" in its name refers to "grizzled" or grey hairs in its fur, but when naturalist George Ord formally named the bear in 1815 he misunderstood the word as "grisly", to produce its biological Latin specific or subspecific name "horribilis". Technically, brown and grizzly bears are classified as the same species, Ursus arctos. The term “brown bear” is commonly used to refer to the members of this species found in coastal areas where salmon is the primary food source. Brown bears found inland and in northern habitats are often called “grizzlies.” Brown bears on Kodiak Island are classified as a distinct subspecies from those on the mainland because they are genetically and physically isolated. The shape of their skulls also differs slightly.

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Name:

The word "grizzly" in its name refers to "grizzled" or grey hairs in its fur, but when naturalist George Ord formally named the bear in 1815 he misunderstood the word as "grisly", to produce its biological Latin specific or subspecific name "horribilis".

Life Span:

Brown bears (of which the grizzly bear is a subspecies) can live up to thirty years in the wild, though twenty to twenty-five is normal.

Physical Description:

Male grizzly bears can reach weights of more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg), but more typically weigh 400 pounds (180 kg) to 770 pounds (350 kg). The females are on average 38% smaller, at about 250–350 pounds (114–160 kg).

On average, grizzly bears stand about 1 meter (3.3 ft) at the shoulder when on all fours and 2 meters (6.6 ft) on their hind legs, but males often stand 2.44 meters (8 ft) or more on their hind legs. On average, grizzly bears from the Yukon River area are about 20% smaller than typical grizzlies.

Technically, brown and grizzly bears are classified as the same species, Ursus arctos. The term “brown bear” is commonly used to refer to the members of this species found in coastal areas where salmon is the primary food source. Brown bears found inland and in northern habitats are often called “grizzlies.” Brown bears on Kodiak Island are classified as a distinct subspecies from those on the mainland because they are genetically and physically isolated. The shape of their skulls also differs slightly.

The grizzly's coloring ranges widely depending on geographic areas, from blond to deep brown, red or even grey. The grizzly has a large hump over the shoulders, which is a muscle mass used to power the forelimbs in digging. The hind legs are more powerful, however. The muscles in the lower legs provide enough strength for the bear to stand up and even walk short distances on its hind legs, giving it a better view of its surroundings. The head is large and round with a concave facial profile. In spite of their massive size, these bears can run at speeds of up to 56 kilometres per hour (35 miles per hour). However, they are slower running downhill rather than uphill because of the large hump of muscle over the shoulders. They have very thick fur to keep them warm in brutal, windy, and snowy winters.

Grizzlies can be distinguished from most other brown bear subspecies by their proportionately longer claws and cranial profile which resembles that of the polar bear. Compared to other North American brown bear subspecies, a grizzly has a silver tipped pelt and is smaller in size. This size difference is due to the lesser availability of food in the grizzlies' landlocked habitats. They are similar in size, colour and behaviour to the Siberian Brown Bear (Ursus arctos collaris).

Diet:

Although grizzlies are of the order Carnivora and have the digestive system of a carnivore, they are actually omnivores since their diet consists of both plants and animals. They have been known to prey on large mammals such as moose, deer, sheep, elk, bison, caribou and even black bears. Grizzly bears feed on fish such as salmon, trout, and bass, and those with access to a more protein-enriched diet in coastal areas potentially grow larger than interior individuals. Grizzly bears readily scavenge food, behaviour that can lead them into conflict with other species, such as wolves and humans. A few have been known to eat humans.

The grizzly bears that reside in the American Rocky Mountains are not as large as Canadian or Alaskan sub-species. This is due, in part, to the richness of their diet which in Yellowstone consists of whitebark pine pine nuts, roots, tubers, grasses, various rodents, army cutworm moths and scavenged carcasses, none of which match the fat content of the salmon available in Alaska and British Columbia. During early spring, as the bears emerge from their dens, elk and bison calves are actively sought. The bear moves in a zig-zag pattern, nose to the ground, hoping to find unsuspecting animals to feed on.

In preparation for winter, bears gain hundreds of kilograms of fat, during a period of hyperphagia, before going into a state of false hibernation. The bear often waits for a substantial snowstorm before it enters its den, such behaviour lessening the chances that predators will be able to locate the den. The dens themselves are typically located at elevations above 6,000 feet on northern-facing slopes. There is some debate amongst professionals as to whether grizzly bears technically hibernate. Much of the debate revolves around body temperature and the ability of the bears to move around during hibernation on occasion. Grizzly bears have the ability to "partially" recycle their body wastes during this period. In some areas where food is plentiful year round, grizzly bears skip hibernation altogether.

Range:

The current range of the grizzly bear extends from Alaska, south through much of western Canada, and into portions of the northwestern United States including Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming, extending as far south as Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, but is most commonly found in Canada. There may still be a small population in Colorado in the southern San Juan Mountains. In September 2007 a hunter produced evidence of grizzly rehabilitation in the Selway-Bitterroot ecosystem by killing a male grizzly. Its original range also included much of the Great Plains and the southwestern states, but it has been extirpated in most of those areas. The grizzly currently enjoys legal protection in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and European countries. However, it is expected that its re-population of its former range will be a slow process, due equally to the ramifications of reintroducing such a large animal to areas which are prized for agriculture and livestock and also to the bear's slow reproductive habits (bears invest a good deal of time in raising young). There are currently about 60,000 wild grizzly bears located throughout North America. These bears weigh from 100 to 1200 pounds.

Social Structure - Mating

When it’s springtime in the Rockies, grizzly bears begin their mating rituals. The whole mating process starts in mid-May to mid-June. From afar, scientists have watched grizzly bear courtship and copulation in the wild. They believe that in springtime, females leave scent trails for wandering males to follow. Such trails may be the key to finding a female bear in areas where grizzly populations are at very low densities. Such is the case in the Central Rockies Ecosystem where there is only 1 bear for every 50 to 100 sq. km. When a male finds a female, the process of getting to know one another begins. At any other time of the year, grizzly bears are solitary creatures that will avoid close encounters with other bears, especially large adult males. During mating season, however, solitary bears let down their guard a little although not for long.

Not surprisingly, male and female grizzly bears usually spend at least a few days testing one another before mating occurs. This type of interaction is important when getting to know an animal that is strong enough to injure or even kill you. The two bears may chase each other, play fight or even nuzzle and lick each other once they are aquainted. The outcome of this process may be rejection or the formation of a pair bond that lasts from several days to a couple of weeks.

In Banff and Waterton Lakes National Parks, researchers have observed an amazing mating ritual. Male grizzly bears have been seen “herding” females onto mountain tops. In doing so, a male is able to isolate a female so that her scent does not attract other bears. In Banff National Park, a male bear kept a female confined within a 2 to 3 hectare mating area for 13 days. On occasion, the female bear tried to escape but the persistent male cut her off and sent her back up the ridge.

At first, a male’s approaches are rejected by the female with paw swats, charges or bites. Eventually, repeated copulation occurs over a few days. The adult male is 1.5-2.0 times larger than the female and mounts her from the rear. At first, copulation may last a few minutes but there may be several bouts that last up to one hour.

Shortly after these prolonged copulations, the male and female separate. The female will likely become pregnant but this does not necessarily mean she will have cubs the following spring. Grizzly bears have developed a process called delayed implantation. At first, the embryo floats freely in the female bear’s uterus and its development is delayed. Sometime in the fall, the female’s body senses whether she will be able to store enough fat reserves to support herself and her cub over the winter. If she can, the embryo is implanted in the uterine wall and it begins to grow. If her energy stores are low, the embryo is reabsorbed by her body and she will not give birth to cubs the following spring.

After mating, the male grizzly bear has no further association with the female. The female may mate with other males but the period of reproductive readiness is brief. If she does mate again, and her fat stores are adequate, she may even give birth to several cubs from different fathers. This explains why cubs from the same litter can look very different from one another. In about 1.5 to 4.5 years, the cubs will leave their mother’s side. At this time the female grizzly bear is free to embark on the whole mating ritual again.

Social Structure - Cubs:

In the middle of winter, grizzly bear cubs are born as their mother remains sluggish and inactive in her long winter’s sleep. In their snow-covered dens, female grizzly bears give birth to between 1 and 4 tiny immature cubs. Newly born cubs have little hair on their bodies and weigh about half a kilogram. The tiny cubs snuggle up against their mother’s warm body and periodically suckle her fat-rich milk.

The cub’s eyes won’t open for another 3 weeks. When they do, the only world they will see and experience for the next few months is the world inside their den. By mid-April to early May, the mother bear and cubs will venture outside their den for the first time. The mother grizzly is still very sluggish at this time while her 3 to 4 kilogram cubs come out of the den like wound up springs suddenly uncoiled. They run and jump on each other, and will sometimes use snowy avalanche chutes as slides. At this stage, the cubs still depend on their mother’s milk for nourishment, which places major energetic demands on her. The bear family may stay near their winter den for the next few weeks and will sometimes sleep inside.

Once they leave the den site, the cubs are seldom more than a few hundred metres from their mother. Even though female bears are very focused mothers, most cubs don’t survive to become adults. A number of factors affect a cubs ability to survive its first few years of life. Other bears, in particular adult males, pose a serious threat to cub survival. Mother grizzly bears will take their cubs to remote areas or places where the habitat is less productive and less likely to attract other bears. In some cases, mother bears will even take refuge in areas of high human activity that are often avoided by large adult males. Unfortunately, this can put the bear family at risk of conflict with humans.

After about 1½ to 4½ years, the surviving cubs of a litter will separate from their mother. Young female bears won’t be ready to reproduce until they are 6 to 7 years of age. Once they are ready, they will only reproduce on average every 4 years. These biological traits, in combination with the low survival rate of cubs, make grizzly bears very susceptible to population decline. Since the initiation of the project, ESGBP researchers have monitored the reproductive rate of study area bears. Since 1993, we have gathered a cumulative total of 85 years of reproductive data in the Bow River watershed. With enough counts, researchers can make estimates of population trends that can be used to gauge the effects of human-caused bear mortality and disturbance over the long term.

Denning:

Grizzly Bears spend almost half of their lives in winter dens. On average, bears in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta spend 4.5 months of the year in or near their den sites. Den entry depends on both physiological and environmental factors. Pregnant females are usually the first bears to den in the fall and the last emerge in the spring. Male grizzly bears are almost always the last to enter their den in fall and the first to emerge in spring. These patterns in den use will vary depending on the age of the bear and the local climate.

The ESGBP has observed the nature and distribution of grizzly bear dens since the initiation of the project in 1994. In particular, research has focused on identifying the characteristics of den sites used by radio-collared grizzly bears. In the fall, den sites are located with the use of aerial telemetry. The dens are then visited in the spring after the bears have moved on to spring feeding sites.

Grizzly bears almost always dig their own dens but, on occasion, they will use a natural chamber such as a cave or hollow tree. One radio-collared female with three cubs used a natural rock cave for several winters. Grizzly bears often show a preference for a particular denning area. On two occasions, old den sites have been found within a few hundred meters of active den sites. Dens are usually dug horizontally into slopes, where the bear flings an incredible shower of rock and rubble out between its legs and down the mountainside. Each den contains a tunnel that opens up into a chamber lined with tree branches, grass or small twigs. Only once in a while will a grizzly bear re-use its den year after year. Most often, the dens collapse after the soil thaws in the spring, and the bear will choose a new den site for the coming winter.

A number of standard measurements are taken with each site visit so that den characteristics may be compared. We have found that, on average, the total length of dens, measured from the entrance to the back of the den chamber is about 2m. The average width of the den entrance is 74cm and the average height of the entrance is 56cm. The chamber of the den is usually just large enough for the bear to curl up and turn about. The den chamber can be as wide 1.3m with a maximum average height of 98cm.

The location of a den site is also described in great detail in the field. Dens within the study area have been found in the upper sub-alpine at elevations between 2000m and 2450 m. The subalpine region is influenced by extreme temperatures and heavy precipitation. Available habitat ranges from open subalpine forest to herb meadows and avalanche chutes. Bears often dig dens with a particular slope orientation or aspect. Studies completed in the mid 1970s revealed that the aspects of bear dens in Banff National Park range between a compass orientation of 22.5°(NNE) and 112.5°(ESE). ESGBP research to date has found that the aspects of surveyed dens range between 117″ (ESE) and 295″ (WNW). The compass orientation of dens can vary widely, according to local climate and terrain. Bears usually try to dig their dens in deep snow where the entrance is sheltered from strong winds. A thick blanket of snow accumulates over the entrance and provides a layer of insulation for the long winter.

Grizzly bears have a preference for den sites with a specific slope angle. Many of the study area dens have been dug into slopes which have an angle of roughly 30 degrees. Studies have shown that this slope angle is steep enough that there is plenty of soil or rock overhead to form a nice thick den roof that is unlikely to collapse during the winter (Vroom et al 1980). In addition, this slope angle is shallow enough for the den opening to be covered by a heavy blanket of snow (Vroom et al 1980).

Overall, the purpose of research on grizzly bear den sites is to discover the physical characteristics that are common to all den sites in the Rocky Mountains. This information provides for an understanding of the nature of suitable denning habitat for grizzly bears in the Central Rockies Ecosystem.

Interactions With Other Carnivores:

Most notable in Yellowstone have been the interactions between grey wolves and grizzly bears. Since the reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone, many visitors have witnessed a once common struggle between a keystone species, the grizzly bear, and its historic rival, the grey wolf. The interactions of U. arctos horribilis with the wolves of Yellowstone have been under considerable study. Typically, the conflict will be over a carcass, which is commonly an elk killed by wolves. The grizzly bear uses its keen sense of smell to locate the kill. Then the wolves and grizzly will play a game of cat and mouse. One wolf may try to distract the bear while the others feed. The bear then may retaliate by chasing the wolves. If the wolves become aggressive with the bear it is normally in the form of quick nips at its hind legs. Thus, the bear will sit down and ease its ability to protect itself in a full circle. Rarely do interactions such as these end in death or serious injury to either animal. One carcass simply isn't usually worth the risk to the wolves if the bear has the upper hand (due to strength and size) or to the bear (if the wolves are too numerous or persistent). Over time, it seems the grizzly bears have benefited from the presence of the grey wolf because of increased food availability.

Black bears generally stay out of grizzly territory but the grizzly may occasionally enter black bear terrain to obtain food sources both bears enjoy, such as pine nuts, acorns, and berries. When a black bear sees a grizzly coming it either turns tail and runs or climbs a tree. Black bears are not strong competition for prey because they have a more herbivorous diet. Confrontations are rare because of the difference in size, habitat, and diet of the bear species. When this happens it is usually with the grizzly being the aggressor. The black bear will only fight when it is a smaller grizzly such as a yearling or when the black bear has no other choice but to defend itself. This usually results in the black bear's death.

Cougars however, generally give the bears a wide berth. Grizzlies have less competition with cougars than with other predators such as coyotes, wolves, and other bears. When a grizzly descends on a cougar feeding on its kill, the cougar usually gives way to the bear. When a cougar does stand its ground, the cougar will use its superior agility and its claws to harass the bear yet stay out of its reach until one of them gives up, usually the cat.

Coyotes, foxes, and wolverines are generally regarded as pests to the grizzlies rather than competition, though coyotes and wolverines may compete for smaller prey such as rabbits and deer. All three will try to scavenge whatever they can from the bears. Wolverines are aggressive enough to occasionally persist until the bear ambles on, leaving more than normal scraps for the smaller animal.

Legal Status:

The grizzly bear is listed as threatened in the contiguous United States and endangered in parts of Canada. In May 2002, the Canadian Species at Risk Act listed the Prairie population (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba range) of grizzly bears as being wiped out in Canada. In Alaska and parts of Canada however, the grizzly is still legally shot for sport by hunters. On January 9, 2006, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to remove Yellowstone grizzlies from the list of threatened and protected species. In March 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service "de-listed" the population, effectively removing Endangered Species Act protections for grizzlies in the Yellowstone National Park area.

Protection:

Within the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concentrates its effort to restore grizzly bears in six recovery areas. These are Northern Continental Divide (Montana), Yellowstone (Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho), Cabinet-Yaak (Montana and Idaho), Selway-Bitterroot (Montana and Idaho), Selkirk (Idaho and Washington), and North Cascades (Washington). The grizzly population in these areas is estimated at 750 in the Northern Continental Divide, 550 in Yellowstone, 40 in the Yaak portion of the Cabinet-Yaak, and 15 in the Cabinet portion (in northwestern Montana), 105 in Selkirk region of Idaho, 10–20 in the North Cascades, and none currently in Selway-Bitterroots, although there have been sighting. These are estimates because bears move in and out of these areas, and it is therefore impossible to conduct a precise count. In the recovery areas that adjoin Canada, bears also move back and forth across the international boundary.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service claims that the Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirk areas are linked through British Columbia, a claim that is disputed.

All national parks, such as Banff National Park, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park have laws and regulations in place to protect the bears. Even so, grizzlies are not always safe in parks. In Glacier National Park in Montana and Banff National Park in Alberta, grizzlies are regularly killed by trains as the bears scavenge for grain that has leaked from poorly maintained grain cars. Road kills on park roads are another problem. The primary limiting factors for grizzly bears in Alberta and elsewhere are human-caused mortality, unmitigated road access, and habitat loss, alienation, and fragmentation. In the Central Rocky Mountains Ecosystem, most bears have died within a few hundred meters of roads and trails.

On March 22, 2007, The U.S. government stated that grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park (Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem) no longer need Endangered Species Act protection. Several environmental organizations, including the NRDC, have since brought a lawsuit against the federal government to re-list the grizzly bear.

Farther north, in Alberta, Canada, intense DNA hair-snagging studies on 2000 showed the grizzly population to be increasing faster than what it was formerly believed to be, and Alberta Sustainable Resource Development calculated a population of 841 bears. In 2002, the Endangered Species Conservation Committee recommended that the Alberta grizzly bear population be designated as Threatened due to recent estimates of grizzly bear mortality rates that indicated that the population was in decline. A recovery plan released by the Provincial government in March 2008 indicates that the grizzly population is lower than previously believed. The Provincial government has so far resisted efforts to designate its declining population of about 700 grizzlies (previously estimated at as high as 842) as endangered.

Environment Canada consider the Grizzly bear to a "special concern" species, as it is particularly sensitive to human activities and natural threats. In Alberta and British Columbia, the species is considered to be at risk.

Recently the International Union for Conservation of Nature moved the Grizzly bear to "Lower Risk Least Concern" status on the IUCN Red List.

Dealing With Bear Encounters:

Before backpackers are allowed to enter an area with bears, they may be required to watch a video that teaches how to avoid encountering or agitating bears. Experts emphasize keeping your distance and making noise to avoid startling a bear as the best ways to avoid a bear attack. If a bear does become confrontational, the usual advice is to raise the arms above the head so as to appear larger, and to yell at the bear. Running away can activate the bears hunting instincts and lead to it perceiving the human as prey. If a bear does charge, persons are advised to hold their ground, as most bear charges are bluffs. Finally, if a bear does attack, the usual advice is to curl into a fetal position so as to shield vital organs and appear non-threatening. If this is not effective in stopping the attack, the only option left is to fight the bear in any way you can. The ideal place to punch a bear is the snout or eyes. This advice applies to omnivores such as brown and black bears; the best way to avoid being attacked by the completely carnivorous polar bear is not to enter any area where polar bears live, or at least remain inside a hard-shell vehicle or building.

Food Storage & Garbage Disposal:

Bears have an excellent sense of smell, and are attracted to human and pet foods as well as refuse. Improper storage of these items can allow bears to eat human food and become dependent on it, increasing the probability of encounters with humans. Most brown and black bear encounters in human-populated areas involve so-called "trouble bears", usually young males who have just left their mothers and do not yet have a territory of their own. If they wander close to human settlements, the smells of cooking and garbage can cause them to ignore their usual instinct to avoid humans. Many parks and persons in areas with bears utilize bear-resistant garbage cans and dumpsters for this reason, and many areas have laws prohibiting the feeding of bears, even if unintentional. Campers can access bear-proof containers from many parks to store their food and trash. The containers are then buried or strung on a rope between two tall trees, out of bears' reach. They are also instructed to put their containers, campfire, and tenting 100 yards (100 m) away from each other,

Grizzly Bear Attacks & Human Interactions:

Grizzlies are considered by some experts to be the most aggressive bears, even by the standards of brown bears. Aggressive behavior in grizzly bears is favored by numerous selection variables. Unlike the smaller black bears, adult grizzlies are too large to escape danger by climbing trees, so they respond to danger by standing their ground and warding off their attackers. Increased aggressiveness also assists female grizzlies in better ensuring the survival of their young to reproductive age. Mothers defending cubs are the most prone to attacking, being responsible for 70% of human fatalities. Historically, bears have competed with other large predators for food, which also favors increased aggression.

Grizzly bears normally avoid contact with people. In spite of their obvious physical advantages and many opportunities, they almost never view humans as prey. Even so, they can be extremely dangerous animals. Most grizzly bear attacks result from a bear that has been surprised at very close range, especially if it has a supply of food to protect, or female grizzlies protecting their offspring. In recent years, some grizzly bears appear to have learned to home in on the sound of hunters' gunshots in late fall as a source of potential food, and inattentive hunters have been attacked by bears trying to appropriate their kills.

It is imperative for all campers in areas inhabited by grizzly to maintain a clean campsite. Reports have indicated that something as innocuous as a tube of lip balm can entice a bear to come near a campsite in search of food. Any bear that is conditioned to finding food around campsites will almost always return and expect the same reward. The bear is then a threat to campers and itself, and park rangers may be forced to kill it. For back-country campers, hanging food between trees at a height unreachable to bears is a common procedure, although some grizzlies can climb and reach hanging food in other ways. An alternative to hanging food is to use a bear canister.

The Sierra Club wants the Forest Service to require everyone who enters a national forest in grizzly bear country to carry bear spray. Spokeswoman Heidi Godwin said in a news release: "The proper use of bear pepper spray will reduce human injuries caused by bears, reduce the number of grizzly bears killed in self defense, and help promote the recovery and survival of the grizzly bear."

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