Bears
Bears… every time I talk about them with people they tend to have two types of reactions, wonder and fear.
Here is a bit on what I’ve learned about them in the past few years. I am just speaking from my own experience.
There are eight types of bears in the world but I just want to focus on the ones in the USA, as I’ve only ever seen these ones. I am talking about the black bears and brown/grizzly bears (picture above). I haven’t seen the polar bear yet but hope to one day!
American Black Bears:
The black bear can look very different depending on their location. They are the smallest and most common bear you can find in the USA. You can generally find them in forested areas and their fur can vary in color; black, brown or even blonde! Black bears are mainly vegetarian. They will eat fruits/berries, roots, grasses, insects, etc… and sometimes they will catch fish like salmon or trout.
I had been looking for black bears for 2 years and I could only ever find their tracks and scat. When I finally did see one it was a funny story. We were in Olympic National Park and we spotted one very far away. It was just a little black dot on the hill. We discussed if it was worth hiking up the mountain to get a closer look. We decided to drive a bit closer when I looked in the back mirror and spotted another one less than ten meters away! I was a bit startled and immediately thought “no way!”. I was extremely excited and relieved we didn’t actually need to hike up a mountain to see the other one.
From my experience, black bears are curious but cautious. If they cause any trouble it is usually because people leave trash or food out in the open.
American Browns Bears:
Brown bears and Grizzly bears are from the same family, the difference is regional, they tend to be coastal bears while Grizzlies are found in forests,
mountain valleys and meadows. These bears are more carnivorous and typically eat fish, plants and carcasses. They can hunt sometimes but usually prefer to eat already dead animals to save their precious calories. They differ from the black bear due to their size, their paws and the hump on their back which is much more pronounced.
My first grizzly bear was eating a carcass in Yellowstone National Park. He was so far away and I could barely see it. There was a ranger nearby monitoring him and making sure people didn’t get too close, he also let me see the bear with his binoculars for a closer look. It was really impressive but he was so far away! However, that same day another grizzly popped out of the forest while we were driving! I was able to see him close up and it was an amazing feeling. I was very lucky to have such great timing.
Since then I have seen a lot of grizzlies and brown bears in a few different national parks. The most impressive was definitely Katmai National Park where you can see them fishing all day. It was like living in a National Geographic documentary (more on Katmai here).
To conclude this article, seeing bears in their own habitat is a fantastic experience and feeling. We are often scared of them but I believe if we are careful and respect their space it can be a privilege and great experience to see them. However, don’t forget your bear spray in grizzly territory!
Fun Facts:
- They eat a lot. They eat up to 20k calories a day!
- During mating season, the fertilized eggs will not grow until weeks or months later so the mom conserves her energy. If she hasn’t accumulated enough fat the eggs will automatically abort!
- They have an excellent memory, senses of smell, sight, and hearing. They can smell from miles away
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