Grizzly Bear

		SIZE

		HEIGHT:	Average of 7 ft.
		LENGTH:	N/A
		WEIGHT:	Varies from 325-850 lb.

		BREEDING

		MATURITY:	Males 4 years, Females 3 years
		MATING:	May-July
		GESTATION:	6 months
		# OF YOUNG :	Usually 2 cubs, occasionally 3, rarely 4

		LIFESTYLE

		HABIT:	Solitary, but sometimes seen with family.
		DIET:	Wide Variety of fruits, berries, bulbs, tubers, and nuts; also insects and grubs, honey, fish, rodents, and lizards.
		LIFESPAN:	In wild, 15-34 years. Maximum of 47 years in captivity.

		SCIENTIFIC NAME

		FAMILY:	The grizzly is a subspecies of the European and Asian brown bear. There are five other closely related species, including the black and polar bears.

		GENERAL INFORMATION

		Grizzlies are found in Canada, Alaska, and reserves in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington. The largest United States population is in Yellowstone National Park. The grizzly is the most aggressive of all the bears. The grizzly has no enemies or predators. The grizzly rarely fights and when he does, it usually is the victor. Grizzlies forage for food in the spring and summer. They are omnivorous, which means that they eat both vegetable and animal matter. Its diet includes fruits, berries, nuts, roots, fish, rodents, and occasionally other animals. It can spot food up to 18 miles away with its keen sense of smell. On the rare occasion that the grizzly kills an animal, the kill can feed a sow (female) and her cubs for up to a week. The grizzly is a great fisherman. It stands in the river and can scoop a salmon out of the water with its enormous paw. Another method the grizzly uses is the "wait and pounce" method. In this, the grizzly waits for a fish to swim by and then, jumps into the water smashing the fish to the bottom of the riverbed. Male grizzlies attract their mates by making low snorts and fondling the females back and neck with their paw. Mating occurs in June, but the fertilized egg does not enter the womb until fall. This gives the sow time to build up an adequate food supply for her growing cubs within her. Gestations take 180 to 250 days. The cubs are born blind, toothless, and almost hairless. They are unbelievably small: 8 inches long and weight between one and two pounds. The cubs will remain in the den until the spring when it is warm enough to come out. In early summer, the mother will take their cubs out to teach them the ways of survival. The sow teaches them how to hunt for food and to protect himself or herself. All the cubs stay with their mother for about a year and then, the cubs will ease into independence. Grizzlies hibernate in much of the same way as other bears. During the summer and fall, they stock up body fat for the long winter sleep. They usually dig their dens in the fall. They are not "totally" asleep during the winter. If it is a nice, warm day, they will come to the ground in search of food.

""June of 07 was my time in Bear Country and from now on it will always be on the vacation list of sites to visit. A big Thank You goes out to the Casey family for such a fine park for the animals and vistors to experience. Next Year the granddaughter will find out about Bear Country and enjoy the beauty of the area, the BEARS and all the animals. papa will be there watching and enjoying also. Thank you ""DOC"", may BEAR COUNTRY be there forever and a day so all can enjoy. thank you Robert and Margo""

Robert Johnston
Kansas City, Missouri