Grizzly Bear
by Robert Bales
Title
Grizzly Bear
Artist
Robert Bales
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear (Ursus arctos) that generally lives in the uplands of western North America. This subspecies is thought to descend from Ussuri brown bears which crossed to Alaska from eastern Russia 100,000 years ago, though they did not move south until 13,000 years ago.
The grizzly bear is a North American subspecies of the brown bear.
These awe-inspiring giants tend to be solitary animals�with the exception of females and their cubs�but at times they do congregate. Dramatic gatherings of grizzly bears can be seen at prime Alaskan fishing spots when the salmon run upstream for summer spawning. In this season, dozens of bears may gather to feast on the fish, craving fats that will sustain them through the long winter ahead.
Brown bears dig dens for winter hibernation, often holing up in a suitable-looking hillside. Females give birth during this winter rest and their offspring are often twins.
Grizzly bears are powerful, top-of-the-food-chain predators, yet much of their diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots. Bears also eat other animals, from rodents to moose.
Grizzlies are typically brown, though their fur can appear to be white-tipped, or grizzled, lending them their traditional name.
Despite their impressive size, grizzlies are quite fast and have been clocked at 30 miles (48 kilometers) an hour. They can be dangerous to humans, particularly if surprised or if humans come between a mother and her cubs.
Grizzlies once lived in much of western North America and even roamed the Great Plains. European settlement gradually eliminated the bears from much of this range, and today only about 1,000 grizzlies remain in the continental U.S., where they are protected by law. Many grizzlies still roam the wilds of Canada and Alaska, where hunters pursue them as big game trophies.
Uploaded
January 30th, 2013
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Viewed 1,040 Times - Last Visitor from Tarpon Springs, FL on 04/13/2024 at 10:47 AM
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Comments (8)
Linda Phelps
F/V Wow! Outstanding contrast between the soft fur of the bear and the sharpness of the elements around him. This is a pleasant composition with plenty of toom for the bear to be looking into. I cannot decide what is at the end of the log on the left side. It looks like part of a dead animal.
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks Linda for the great comment on the bear and I think it just a rock not in focus.
Robert Bales
Thanks Nadine and Bob for adding the Grizzly photo to your feature page on the Natural Scenic Landscape group!
Robert Bales
Thanks Mariola for adding the Grizzly photo to your feature page on the 4-Legged group!