Mammals - Brown Bear -

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Sightings

Grizzly Camp

When spring arrives on the Rocky Mountain Front people gather at the rustic Pine Butte Guest Ranch in Montana to participate in the Grizzly Bear workshop led by bear expert Chuck Jonkel.

The Great Bear

In Canada's Great Bear Rainforest one in ten brown bears are born white. These "Spirit Bears" are an icon of the rainforest and of efforts to protect it.

The brown bear includes many subspecies, including the Kodiak (Ursus arctos middendorfi) and Grizzly (Ursus arctos horribilis). Coloration varies by region and individual from a pale fawn to near black. All subspecies are large, males growing over 6 feet in length and 800 pounds, depending on available diet. The northern salmon-feeding populations are by far the largest, males weighing as much as 1500 pounds. In the United States, the heaviest concentrations of brown bears occur in Alaska, their range in the lower 48 being reduced to less than 1 percent of its historical scope.

Omnivores, brown bears are important predators and distributors of seeds in their ecosystems. Their diet varies widely by region, ranging from grasses and roots to fish and moose. Hibernating from October to December until March, April or May, depending on location, weather and individual, brown bears stockpile body fat to metabolize during their long winter sleep. Brown bear females typically give birth during hibernation.

Unpredictable and often impulsive, brown bears have been consistently characterized as dangerous. The danger of attack is, however, greatly exaggerated. Brown bears typically avoid human contact whenever possible. Their reputation as livestock predators is also inflated and has lead to persecution of target populations. Although threatened by habitat loss, global populations are no in immediate danger. The Grizzly bear subspecies is currently listed as Threatened in the continental U.S., but has been recommended for removal from the list.