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It was on a hot summer afternoon that I met this charismatic Grizzly Bear. It had just emerged from a pond and was being annoyed by many flies.
The natives of the west coast of Canada hold the Grizzly Bear as a venerable species. It is closely related to the Polar Bear. The male, which is between 1 and 2 times larger than the female, can usually reach 250-350 kg. This bear consumes everything he finds: plants, roots, fruits, berries, mushrooms, insects, carrion, fishes, birds, as well as small and large mammals. Home ranges can reach up to over 1000 km square in the North. The female usually gives birth to 2 or 3 cubs during the winter in a den where she can hibernate for 3-7 months. During that time her body temperature, usually 37 °C, drops by 4 or 5 °C.
It has been estimated that there were up to 100,000 grizzly bears in North America before the Europeans arrived. Their populations are declining due to habitat degradation and fragmentation.
