Grizzly Bears and My Personal Intrigue with Them
1.) A grizzly bear is a lumbering beast and is fascinating when it runs and fights other bears. Their muscle, fat and fur have a mesmerizing ripple with each forceful blow. You may not notice this when watching bears stalk their prey or fight because they’re so ferocious. I consider them as aggressive and predatorial as felines more so than a canine. In Montana, there are actually old Indian trails on mountain ridges just to avoid chance encounters.
2.) In at least two documented cases within the past decade, a very small number of these husky beasts have exhibited sociopath behavior. National Geographic has been a decent source of information on this but the phenomenon is pretty rare. This video on National Geographic Predators in Yellowstone is an interesting documentary on bad bear behavior.
3.) Grizzly bears are very territorial animals, as you can imagine. One of the ways they mark there territory is by rubbing their entire bodies (front, back, top and bottom) on an object like a tall tree. They SCRUB their bodies hard against the bark – they take territory marking extremely seriously. They even think to stand on their hind legs so they can leave their sent at the highest possible level so over bears think they’re enormous.
4.) The way they walk is so interesting. With thick pads on their huge feet, they make an inward cupping gesture before taking each step.
5.) They use their claws most often to dig for roots and most of their diet is vegetation like berries unless they’re in a salmon heavy area. It’s one thing for black bears to have a penchant for berries, but grizzlies are a surprise. They’re incredibly aggressive and with the temperament that goes with their bear brawls could easily come carnivorous tendencies. However, that is atypical behavior.
Unassuming grizzlies
I know this is a short list. Got anything on these guys that interest you? What about other wildlife? Leave a comment below please! Check out the American Buffalo post for more on Nature’s finest.
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4 Comments
Its beary good. Actually grizzlies terrify me. Their sheer size matched by their strength is immense. Standing they can be 10′ tall, can charge at 40mph and a single swipe of their powerful front legs can knock down a moose. No, I don’t not want to see one in the wild unless I have to use a pair of binoculars.
I knew that they were fast for such big animals but 40 mph?! Picturing one knock down a moose is just as much of a shocker. Yeah, I’ve got a healthy fear of grizzlies – and polar bears are even worse. Can you imagine?
Polar Bears! I am not sure which is bigger polar bears or grizzlies, but I wouldn’t want to be stalked by either of them. I have seen taxidermy specimens close up. The claws, size of the paws and teeth are impressive. Bears need their space and respect.
Polar bears walk less funny