Why Is Grizzly Bear Wrong

Grizzly bears are enormous bears; that, tend to be misunderstood by others. Many times, they are portrayed wrongly in movies and tv shows. People may go off by things they see; in the movies and immediately suggest that’s the way the grizzly bear is. If others took the time to find information on the grizzly they would see how wrong the movies are about them. For many people grizzly bears can be a mystery such as where they live, what they eat, and whether they hibernate or not. However, with a bit of research answers can be found.

Many may not have known, but grizzly bears once lived in most of western North America; and even roamed the Great Plains. In the 1800's, grizzlies lived from western Minnesota to California and from central Mexico

north through Canada and Alaska. During this time European settlers began killing grizzly bears as they converted prairie habitat to farmland. A grizzly bear’s habitat includes a wide range of territories, including: woodlands, meadows, forests, river valleys, marshes and mountainous regions. Many also live near rivers, streams and coastal areas. By the 1900s grizzly bears were eliminated from most of the prairie states and provinces of central North America, including Minnesota. Today, most of the remaining grizzly bears that are left in North America; reside in Alaska and western Canada.There are about 30,000 grizzly bears that live in Alaska; and, about 1,500 grizzlies that still live in the United States. The grizzly bear has been found in: Montana, Utah, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Yellowstone, and the Rocky Mountains. In Yellowstone and the Rocky Mountains; grizzly bears are beginning to grow in numbers, there are now about six hundred bears that stay in the Yellowstone National Park area. There are also about five hundred grizzlies that stay in the Rocky Mountains. This is good news to hear since it shows that the grizzly bear’s population is slowly growing; even with the rapid decline in the United States.
There is also another thing that pops into a person’s mind when they think of grizzly bears: food.

Many may not have known; but, Grizzlies are not picky eaters. Grizzlies are opportunistic eaters, and will eat whatever is available to them at the time. This makes it easy for them to find food, because of the variety of foods they can eat.They are also omnivorous, meaning; they eat both plants and animals. A grizzly bear may eat plants; including: grass, roots, tubers, seeds, moths, wild berries, insects, fungi, nuts and other plants. They also will eat animals such as: small rodents, elk, bison, moose, carrion (decaying flesh of dead animals), salmon, trout, bass, crabs, and others. A misconception people tend to have is that the grizzly bear is stingy with its food and doesn’t like to be around other bears while eating. However, when there is much food in the area; the grizzly bear doesn’t mind eating with other bears. Although, once the food source has gone down; the grizzlie’s will go their separate ways to search for more food. A specific food that grizzly bears like to eat is salmon. Many times the salmon will return to the river, they were born in, and make their way upstream. Fishing for salmon in late summer is the best way for grizzlies get the food they can store up as fat. During this time the grizzly bears gorge themselves on the salmon, eating about 25 fish per day to put on extra weight. When there are many fish for the Grizzlies to feed on they’ll eat about

a quarter of the fish. They tend to concentrate on the fattiest portions, such as: the brains, skin and eggs. Morever, salmon aren’t always the easiest fish to catch. The grizzly bear uses seven different fishing styles while attempting to catch salmon. The cubs usually develop their fishing technique by watching their mother; and some bears are better fishers than others. The first fishing technique they use is stand and wait; this is when grizzlies stand on top of a rock or high place and wait for a salmon to jump close enough to catch in their mouths. Many grizzlies use this technique. The second style is when they sit and wait; bears will sit and wait for a salmon to swim near them; then quickly pin it down with their paw. The third style grizzlies use to catch fish is dash and grab; this is when the bear will try to chase the fish and attempt to pin them to the river bottom with their paw. The fourth style is snorkeling; this is when the grizzly bear looks for the fish under the water. The fifth style is pirating; the bear will try to steal fish from the other bears. When this happens a smaller bear may run away with their fish to eat it alone. The sixth style is diving, this is when a bear completely submerges itself seeking a fish. The seventh style is begging; bears do not share food with other bears, but some bears will still attempt to beg from others. Whether the bear succeeds in this method, depends on the particular bear’s status.
The last most confusing thing about the grizzly bear is whether they hibernate or not.
Many may wonder or not if the grizzly bear hibernates, the answer is yes.

grizzlies will hibernate when there is a seasonal shortage of food, low environmental temperatures, or when there’s snow arrival. Grizzly bears hibernate five to seven months each year. The grizzly will enter into hibernation in October or November. During this time the grizzly bear must prepare a den and consume as much food as possible to last their hibernation period. While searching for a den the grizzly may travel many miles until it finds a suitable area that it likes. The dens are usually at elevations above 1,800 m (5,900 ft) on north-facing slopes. The reason why bears have to eat as much food as possible is because they need the energy from the food to last through the entire winter. They may eat up to 90 lbs of food per day, while trying to put on as much weight as possible. When it’s time for grizzlies to hibernate; will enter their den, and fall into a “deep” sleep. During this time the grizzlies won’t eat or drink; but instead they digest their stored up fat; (the fat used to last them through their entire hibernation.) The bear also will not urinate or defecate, but will reabsorb their urine and feces into proteins. The bear can use 25-40% of their body weight during hibernation; the bear’s heart rate and body temperature may also drop. By March or April, male grizzly bears usually emerge from the den and the females emerge in late April or May. When bears emerge from hibernation they’re

in a state of “walking hibernation” for several weeks. The bear may appear “drunk” or in a stupor, until their bodies get back to normal. This cycle repeats itself each year.
Many people may have first jump to conclusions on the grizzly bear; but now, they should know more about its species. The grizzly bear is not the same, as it is seen in the movies or in tv shows. It is not just a big, scary animal that is just seen in the zoo, or in national park reserves. The grizzly bear is an animal with a background, and all that was needed was a bit of research to find it all out.