The Great Grizzly

Grizzly bears are awesome creatures. They’re the not the largest bears in North America (the polar bear takes first prize in this category), but they can reach a weight of up to 410 kg! Most grizzlies live in Alaska, Canada and Russia. Grizzlies are mostly solitary animals, although they don’t really mind if their territories overlap. They’re omnivores, and their favourite foods are salmon, mammals and berries. Before hibernation, grizzly bears need to eat a LOT in order to gain the weight they’ll need to see them through the winter (they can hibernate for up to seven months!).

It’s a Bear’s Life
Grizzly bears are really adaptable. They live in a wide variety of habitats, from forests, to alpine meadows, to the Arctic tundra. A female grizzly gives birth to two or three cubs between January and March. Cubs are really, really small – they only weigh a pound when they’re first born. Mother grizzlies take care of their babies for two or three years, and she will defend them fiercely if she feels they’re ever threatened. Mama grizzlies will even take on a large male to protect her babies! The lesson here? Don’t mess with mama bear!

Lend a Helping Paw
Beaver River is a remote watershed where grizzlies live. Unfortunately, there’s a potential mining road that will run right through important habitat in this area, destroying hectares of berry patches that grizzly bears eat. That’s why Earth Rangers has teamed up with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada and the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk. When you adopt a grizzly, you will support a team of grizzly bear biologists who will visit the Beaver River Watershed and use special non-invasive methods to determine the population size, habitat and distribution of the grizzlies. The data gathered will be used to learn how the mining sites will impact the grizzly bears’ habitats, which can help us protect them for years to come!