The Grizzly Bear

Dave and I watched a movie the other night and it takes place in Wyoming. There is a huge brown bear in the movie, which of course started a discussion on what type of bear is that. What is a Kodiak bear? What is a grizzly bear? My addiction to Wikipedia kicks in and since I have an audience now, you get to hear allllllll about it.

In the movie we watched it was a grizzly bear, which is a subspecies of the brown bear - did not know this. A little background on grizzly bears: When Lewis and Clark roamed the West in the early 1800's there were estimated 50,000 grizzly bears. Now there are just about 15,000. Primarily grizzly bears are found in Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Colorado, and Canada (not near NY). It just so happens that the Kodiak bears are a subspecies of the brown bear and specific to the Kodiak islands occupying the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in south central Alaska.

In 1975, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the grizzly bear as a threatened species in the Lower 48 States under the Endangered Species Act, placing the species under federal protection. In 2007, the US Federal Government stated that Grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park no longer need Endangered Species Act protection. Several environmental organizations have since brought legal suit against the federal government to relist the grizzly bear.


Grizzlies can be distinguished from most other brown bear subspecies by their longer claws and cranial profile which resembles that of the polar bear. They often live to be 25 years old. The have about the same eyesight as humans but can smell something up to a mile away. They often will stand up on their hind legs to do this.

They are 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 will eat fish such as salmon, trout, and bass. Grizzly bears will scavenge food, behavior that can lead them into conflict with other species, such as wolves and humans.
During early spring, as the bears emerge from their dens, elk and bison calves are actively sought. The bear will move in a zig-zag pattern, nose to the ground, hoping to find unsuspecting animals to feed on. (oooh, yummmy.)
In prep for winter, bears will gain hundreds of kilograms of fat, during a period of "hyperphagia", before going into a state of "false hibernation". The bear will often wait for a big snowstorm before going to sleep for the winter. This lessens the chances that predators will be able to locate the den.

There is some argument as to whether grizzly bears technically hibernate. Much of the debate revolves around body temp 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. (hmmmmm - not sure I really needed to know about the body waste stuff.)

The grizzly seems to have the biggest conflict with the gray wolf and it usually over food. The grizzly bear uses its strong sense of smell to quickly 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 elk carcass simply isn't usually worth the risk to the wolves if the bear has the upper hand (due to the grizzly bear's 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 gray wolf because of increased food availability.

Grizzlies are considered to be the most aggressive bears, even by the standards of brown bears. 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. 70% of human fatalities has been the result of the female protecting their young.

Now for the good stuff:
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 babies. In recent years, some grizzly bears seem 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.
It is very for all campers in areas inhabited by grizzly to maintain a clean campsite. Reports have indicated that something as simple as a tube of chapstick 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. Since most grizzlies prefer to avoid people, it is a good idea to make noise when traveling in dense brush or other places where visibility is limited. High pitched shouts or whistles will alert nearby bears and give them a chance to get out of the way. "Bear bells" are generally useless as their sound does not travel far.

Pepper-based bear sprays (containing at least 1% of the active ingredient capsaicin) have proven effective in deterring bears, both grizzly and black, that attacked after being surprised at close range. The spray causes instant irritation of exposed mucous membranes in the eyes, nose and mouth, and in the great majority of cases where it has been used, immediately diverts the bear, whilst just the surprise of a sharp spray can deter the bear, though this cannot be counted on. Combined with most people's inexperience with firearms, the practicality of the firearm at hand, where to hit a bear if possessing one, and the suddenness of the situation, recent research has shown that bear spray is significantly more effective than firearms. A further advantage of bear spray is that it leaves the bear alive and perhaps less likely to attack in the future. However, bear spray is far from guaranteed, as a bear will either ignore it or as in attacks on groups of two or more, the bear will sometimes simply move on to the next person. Also, if the can is not 100% full or reaches its expiration date, it may prove ineffective.

In the event of a surprise attack that cannot be repelled, it is important not to make eye contact with the bear as eye contact can be seen as aggression. Adopt a submissive posture and remain still; often a charging grizzly will turn away at the last moment. Never run from a bear—uphill, downhill or into water. Grizzlies can outrun humans. Some say that climbing a tree can be a good defense, if there is time, as the long curved digging claws of a grizzly makes it hard for the bear to grip a tree and climb it. Others argue that climbing trees is not a good idea since many bears can and will climb up after you.
Struggling or fighting back will almost certainly intensify and prolong the attack; at the same there's an existing advice to actually fight back.
A grizzly track is unlike that of a black bear in that one can trace a single line from the innermost point on the left toe to the innermost point on the right toe without intersecting the pad of the foot. Claws are normally more than an inch from the end of the toe. Other signs include: talus slopes that appear raked, fallen logs which have been torn up, and high claw marks on trees. The smell of decomposing flesh is a danger sign, as bears will take possession of animal carcasses and defend these rich food supplies aggressively; hikers should always give a wide berth to any area where there is a strong odour. They can be very vicious.

Soooo, who wants to go camping in Wyoming??

On a side note, deaths by black bear, though, are most often predatory, while the more numerous grizzly fatalities on humans are often defensive. This makes feigning (pretending)death when a black bear attacks ineffective. Although 15 North Americans have been killed since the year 2000, it is estimated that there have been only 56 documented killings of humans by black bears in North America in the past 100 years.

So, basically if a black bear is attacking you, don't follow the same rules as the grizzly bear. Like you will have time to get out your guide book and look up to see which one it is attacking you - ha ha ha.