General
Grizzly Bear Biology
1)
What is the life history of a grizzly bear?
2)
What do grizzly bears eat? How much do they eat?
3)
Do grizzly bears kill big game animals?
4)
Do grizzly bears do anything besides eat?
5)
What months do grizzly bears spend in the den? What does a den look like? How
are grizzlies able to survive long periods in the den?
6)
How large an area does an individual grizzly bear require?
7)
Does a bear keep other bears out of its range?
8)
How big are grizzly bears? Are they different from the brown and kodiak bears
of Alaska?
9)
What is the difference between a grizzly and a black bear?
10)
Can grizzly bears climb trees?
11)
How fast can a grizzly run?
12)
What do grizzlies use their long front claws for?
North
Cascades Grizzly Bear Biology
1)
What is the history of the grizzly bear in the North Cascades?
2)
How do we know there are grizzly bears in the North Cascades?
3)
How much do bears move back and forth across the USA/Canada border?
The
Endangered Species Act & Recovery in the North Cascades
1)
Why recover grizzly bears in the North Cascades?
2)
What is a recovery plan? What is a recovered population? Delisting? Uplisting?
Downlisting?
3)
Does the recovery area include sufficient habitat to recover the bear?
4)
What number of grizzlies makes a recovered population?
5)
How long will it take to achieve a healthy grizzly bear population in the
North Cascades?
6)
What effects will grizzly bear recovery have on other wildlife in the North
Cascades?
7)
Will grizzly bear recovery affect salmon and steelhead populations?
Grizzly
Bear Management
1)
What management is necessary to have logging and grizzly bears?
2)
How would grizzly bear predation on livestock be handled? Will livestock
growers be compensated for losses to grizzly bear predation?
3)
May ranchers and farmers kill grizzlies that inflict damage on their stock or
property?
Augmentation
1)
What is the difference between "augmentation" and
"re-introduction" as those words are used in discussions of grizzly
bear recovery?
2)
Have grizzly bears been added to the North Cascades in the past?
3)
Will grizzly bears from other places be moved to the North Cascades as part of
the recovery effort?
4)
Would problem bears be moved into the North Cascades?
5)
How will the public participate in deciding if or how grizzly bears would be
moved into the North Cascades from other places?
Human
Safety
1)
How much danger do grizzly bears pose to humans?
2)
How can people in grizzly bear country avoid attracting bears?
3)
What is a BRFC?
4)
How will garbage disposal be addressed in the grizzly bear recovery process?
Other
bear questions
1)
I have seen young black bear cubs with no mothers this spring - are they
orphaned?
2)
Where can I find tips about avoiding problems with black and grizzly bears on
my property?
More
grizzly bear ecology, behavior and recovery information
Useful
links
General
Grizzly Bear Biology
1)
What is the life history of a grizzly bear?
Grizzly bears usually have one to four cubs
(average of two), which are born in the den in late January. At birth their
eyes are closed, they have very little hair, and they weigh less than a pound.
Grizzlies have cubs every three years on average, and cubs accompany their
mother until she has another litter. Grizzly bear mothers are highly
protective of their young and will risk death to protect them. Female
grizzlies usually begin to breed at 5 to 6 years of age. Male bears do not
participate in caring for the young. The average life span of a grizzly is 15
to 20 years. The oldest wild grizzly bear ever captured in North America was a
female in the Cabinet Mountains of Montana, which was 34 years old.
2)
What do grizzly bears eat? How much do they eat?
Grizzlies are omnivores, which means that like
humans, they eat both plants and animals. They are also opportunists, meaning
they take advantage of whatever is available. Most of their diet is from
vegetable materials such as berries, roots, and grasses. They also scavenge
meat from winter-killed animals, dig for rodents, and eat termites, ants,
grubs and other insects. If the opportunity arises they can become adept at
fishing and hunting. Because they must live off stored fat for 6 months of the
year, they eat large quantities during the time they forage. An adult male may
consume the caloric equivalent of 10 huckleberry pies per day during the
height of the berry season.
3)
Do grizzly bears kill big game animals?
Yes. Grizzlies sometimes prey on elk calves and
deer fawns. They generally are not very proficient at killing adults of those
species. In some areas, such as Yellowstone, big game can be an important food
source. However, carrion (often winter kill) often makes up the largest
portion of big game consumed by bears.
4)
Do grizzly bears do anything besides eat?
Eating occupies much of a grizzly bear's time
during the spring, summer and fall, but they also engage in a wide range of
other activities. Grizzly bears are extremely intelligent animals and each
individual has a personality of its own. Adult bears are sometimes observed on
the highest peaks. Entire family groups of mothers and cubs have been seen
sliding down steep snow slopes on their rumps and then climbing back up to do
it again. They also enjoy water, and on hot days can be seen splashing and
diving in pools and streams. They will play with each other for hours, both as
cubs and when older, and will sometimes amuse themselves by playing and
wrestling with logs and sticks.
5)
What months do grizzly bears spend in the den? What does a den look like? How
are grizzlies able to survive long periods in the den?
Grizzly bears generally den in October or
November and emerge in mid-April. They often enter their dens during a
snowstorm, but they may also den in the autumn before the onset of winter
weather if they are very fat. They usually dig a den in a hillside or under
the roots of a tree or use a natural cave. They've also been known to simply
crawl into thick brush and let the snow cover them. They usually den at higher
elevations where there is ample snow for insulation. A bear rarely uses the
same den year after year. Dens dug in a hillside usually collapse by
mid-summer.
During winter when bears are in the den, their
heart and breathing rates and body temperatures are reduced. In this way they
conserve energy so that they are able to survive on the fat they have stored
during the summer. Bears can gain 50-100+ pounds during the 6 months they are
active. Bears do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate while they are in the
den. Water is produced as their fat is metabolized, and this provides their
body with necessary liquid. Incredibly, they often lose less than 2% of their
muscle mass during winter sleep. The functioning of a bear's kidneys is not
well understood and is being studied to provide potential benefits for human
kidney research. Bears may come out of their dens for a day or two during warm
periods and sit in the sun at their den entrances. They will also awaken if
disturbed.
6)
How large an area does an individual grizzly bear require?
That depends upon how rich the habitat is in
bear foods. Grizzly bears are not territorial. They do not stake out and
defend a well-defined area but follow food availability. A food source that is
rich in early spring often fizzles out by late spring, causing bears to move
to other food sources. As a result, home ranges generally change from year to
year. Most bears move through an area of several miles during a 24-hour
period, but daily movements may vary widely by season, food availability, age
and sex of the bear, security cover, and level of disturbance.
The average home range size throughout North
America for an adult female grizzly bear is about 70 square miles. Adult males
have much larger home ranges, often 300-500 square miles. Male home ranges are
generally larger because males travel over a broader area to find females.
Female home ranges are usually smaller because the limited mobility of cubs
confines them to an area just large enough to supply food, water, and
security. Research is needed to learn about grizzly bear home ranges and
habitat use in the North Cascades.
7)
Does a bear keep other bears out of its range?
No. Grizzly bears are not territorial. Home
ranges of bears overlap. Each bear does have a certain "personal
space" that it will not let another bear invade, and will defend a
limited food source such as a carcass.
8)
How big are grizzly bears? Are they different from the brown and kodiak bears
of Alaska?
The average spring weight of an adult male bear
in the Rockies is 350-400 pounds; a female weighs about 250 pounds. A grizzly
may gain 50-100+ pounds during the summer and fall. Brown and Kodiak bears are
the same species as our grizzly bears, but they are much larger as a result of
their richer food source and the dominance of larger bears in breeding.
9)
What is the difference between a grizzly and a black bear?
The black bear is a different, smaller species
of bear, and it is more common in forested habitats than the grizzly. Black
bears are found in 32 states, much of Canada and parts of Mexico. In Montana
black bears and grizzly bears live in similar habitats, but the black bear is
less commonly found above timberline. Black bears and grizzly bears both range
in color from very light blond to cinnamon-like to black, therefore color is
not a good way to tell the two species apart. Young grizzlies are no larger
than black bears, so size is not a good indicator. Diagnostic features of a
grizzly are long, curved front claws, a concave-shaped nose in profile, and a
muscular hump at the shoulders.
10)
Can grizzly bears climb trees?
Yes, but they rarely do. Cubs climb trees well
but this ability decreases as the bear grows larger and older. How well an
adult bear can climb is usually determined by the size of the tree and
arrangement of branches.
11)
How fast can a grizzly run?
Though grizzlies may look slow and clumsy, they
can run as fast as a horse for short distances and are quite sure-footed. They
have been clocked at 30-35 miles per hour which is much faster than the world
record for humans in the 100 yard dash.
12)
What do grizzlies use their long front claws for?
They use their claws primarily to dig for
rodents, roots and bulbs and to tear apart rotten logs and stumps for insects.
The claws are also useful when it is time to dig a winter den.
More on biology.
North
Cascades Grizzly Bear Biology
1)
What is the history of the grizzly bear in the North Cascades?
The historical record clearly shows that
grizzly bears have long been present in the North Cascades. The earliest
evidence is found in religious ceremonies and folklore of several Cascade
Mountain Native American tribes. Between 1827 and 1859 Hudson's Bay Company
trapping records show 3,788 grizzly hides shipped from North Cascades area
trading posts.
Some of the grizzly bears killed in the North
Cascades have been preserved in various museums across the U.S. The hide and
skull of a grizzly bear killed during the survey of the U.S./Canada border in
1859 was sent to the U.S. National Museum in Washington, D.C. The skull is
still in the museum collection.
Another grizzly bear taken from the Chelan area
in 1913 was used by C. Hart Merriam in 1916 as the type specimen for his
taxonomic description of Pacific Northwest grizzly bears. In 1952, a grizzly
bear was killed just east of the Okanogan River, near Molson; this specimen is
in the Conner Museum at Washington State University.
From the early 1900s to present agencies have
collected anecdotal information indicating the presence of grizzly bears
throughout the Cascade Mountains. In the early 1900's, miners, sheepherders,
and ranchers killed grizzly bears indiscriminately as vermin. This was
followed by a period of predator control by government hunters and wardens,
who trapped and shot grizzly bears throughout the Cascades. Members of the
public have reported seeing grizzly bears in the Cascades from the 1800s to
the present.
More on history.
2)
How do we know there are grizzly bears in the North Cascades?
In 1983, a Washington Department of Game
researcher collected and classified grizzly bear observations from the North
Cascades. For the U.S. portion of the North Cascades, more than 20 reports
between 1960 and 1983 were rated as highly reliable. One of the reports
described the killing of a grizzly bear on Fisher Creek south of Ross Lake in
1967. Biologists of the Washington Department of Game inspected this bear and
recorded a detailed description of it.
The North Cascades Grizzly Bear Technical Team
includes biologists who are trained in evaluating the validity of bear
sightings. They evaluate sightings by conducting interviews and field surveys.
To date, records show 20 confirmed observations of grizzly bears in the North
Cascades between 1964 and 2004. These reports included observations by
wildlife biologists, a grizzly bear food cache, and several different grizzly
bear tracks. Tracks were either photographed or cast in plaster. The
photographs and plaster casts are maintained by the Washington Department of
Wildlife and National Park Service. Another 86 reports of grizzly bears in the
North Cascades from 1964 to 2004 were rated as highly reliable. The last
sighting to be verified occurred in 1996 in the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area.
All of this information is available for public review.
More on observations.
3)
How much do bears move back and forth across the USA/Canada border?
Bears do not recognize political boundaries, so
it is likely that some North Cascades grizzlies regularly cross and re-cross
the international boundary. Some may live primarily south of the border, while
others live north of it. Grizzly bears observed in the southern area of the
North Cascades Ecosystem would have home ranges that do not include portions
of Canada. Research is needed to learn more about North Cascades grizzly bear
distribution and movement patterns.
The
Endangered Species Act & Recovery in the North Cascades
1)
Why recover grizzly bears in the North Cascades?
The Endangered Species Act requires recovery of
threatened or endangered plants and animals. Grizzly bears were listed as a
threatened species in 1975. A national grizzly bear recovery plan was prepared
in 1982. It identified four ecosystems that had grizzly bears and sufficient
habitat to support a viable bear population and two that needed to be
evaluated. The North Cascades was one of those two. Between 1986 and 1991
biologists evaluated the habitat quantity and quality and the status of
grizzly bears in the North Cascades. Their report and an independent
evaluation of the information concluded that bears were present and that the
quality and quantity of habitat in the North Cascades could support a viable
grizzly bear population. Based on that information, the Interagency Grizzly
Bear Committee and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the decision to
designate the North Cascades as a grizzly bear recovery area. Washington also
contains another grizzly bear recovery area, the Selkirk Recovery Area, in the
northeastern portion of the state.
2)
What is a recovery plan? What is a recovered population? Delisting? Uplisting?
Downlisting?
When a species is listed as endangered or
threatened, a recovery plan is written by a team of biologists. The plan
outlines actions that should be taken to increase the population to the point
where it is no longer threatened and no longer needs federal protection. The
implementation of the actions in a recovery plan is done through management
documents such as forest plans, following an extensive public planning
processes.
"Uplisting" occurs when the status of
the population is changed from threatened to endangered and "Downlisting"
occurs when it is changed from endangered to threatened. This status review is
conducted according to procedures specified in the Endangered Species Act
(ESA). The North Cascades grizzly bear population is currently warranted for
endangered status (should be uplisted), but that action is currently precluded
by higher listing priorities (such as species that are in need of protection,
but have none under the ESA). When the population increases to the point that
it is no longer considered threatened, it is considered "recovered".
At this point it is "delisted", or removed from the threatened
species list.
Recent articles in the press have reported that
grizzly bears are to be "delisted" in the contiguous states. The
only grizzly bear population currently under consideration for delisting,
however, is the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
3)
Does the recovery area include sufficient habitat to recover the bear?
The North Cascades Grizzly Bear Ecosystem
Evaluation included a study to determine if ample plant and animal diversity
and abundance existed in the North Cascades to support grizzly bears. The
study found that most plant species used by bears in other ecosystems occur in
the North Cascades, as well as some unique plant species that may add to the
richness of the bears' menu. It concluded that the 10,000 square mile area in
the U.S. was adequate to sustain a population of 200-400 grizzly bears.
4)
What number of grizzlies makes a recovered population?
A recovered, or self-sustaining grizzly bear
population must be genetically viable; able to withstand natural and
human-caused mortality and catastrophic disasters; and be well distributed
throughout the ecosystem. The determination of what constitutes a recovered
population in the North Cascades cannot be determined at this time because of
the lack of information for the ecosystem. Additional research will be needed
to determine the population objective for the North Cascades ecosystem.
Although a viable grizzly bear population number cannot be exactly specified
at this time, scientists currently estimate that it may be comprised of
between 200-400 bears.
A recovery plan for the North Cascades was
finalized and approved in 1997. The plan may be updated periodically and these
updates provide opportunities to determine or revise population objectives
based on new information.
5)
How long will it take to achieve a healthy grizzly bear population in the
North Cascades?
It will take many decades before the North
Cascades has a healthy grizzly bear population. Grizzly bears are slow to
increase in numbers because of their reproductive biology - they are the
second slowest reproducing land animal in North America, second only to the
musk ox. Females are usually 5-6 years old when they have their first litter
and then have an average of two cubs about every 3 years. Not all of these
cubs survive to maturity. A typical female grizzly bear will have 5 cubs that
survive to adulthood in her life which may be about 20-25 years. Growth of the
North Cascades grizzly bear population, under the best conditions, is expected
to be very slow.
6)
What effects will grizzly bear recovery have on other wildlife in the North
Cascades?
The wildlife of the North Cascades evolved and
coexisted with grizzly bears and is unlikely to be adversely affected by
grizzly bear recovery. Land management practices to recover grizzly bears
generally benefit other wildlife.
7)
Will grizzly bear recovery affect salmon and steelhead populations?
Grizzly bears, black bears, salmon and
steelhead all evolved together and an increasing grizzly bear population is
not likely to have a significant effect on salmon and steelhead populations in
the ecosystem. The activities of individual bears may affect fish populations
in some creeks and streams in the short term, but are unlikely to cause any
long-term fish population declines. Some research suggests that ecosystems
benefit from the nutrient cycling that results from bears transferring fish
from the water to the land during feeding, and in scat.
More on recovery.
Grizzly
Bear Management
1)
What management is necessary to have logging and grizzly bears?
While timber harvest activity may temporarily
displace bears, it does not necessarily cause long-term detrimental effects if
road access is limited after the activity is complete. Logging can sometimes
improve bear habitat by providing openings favorable to plants that the bears
use for food. This increased food value lasts as long as the bear foods
produced by removal of the tree canopy persist. Grizzly bears may not like to
get far from hiding cover and may not use large openings if open roads are
nearby. Post- logging treatments like broadcast burning that preserve the soil
layers and the roots of berry-producing shrubs can be beneficial to production
of grizzly foods.
Effective road closures are one of the best
ways to maintain both grizzly bears and timber harvest. Closing and replanting
roads when timber harvest is finished and closing nearby established roads
while new roads are open can provide bears with the undisturbed habitat they
need. Road management is used to benefit other species of wildlife as well.
Managing the seasonal time of entry is also a useful tool to allow both timber
harvest and bear access to important habitats at critical times.
2)
How would grizzly bear predation on livestock be handled? Will livestock
growers be compensated for losses to grizzly bear predation?
Livestock growers will be encouraged to follow
practices that will not attract grizzly bears.
When a report of a suspected grizzly bear
predation is received, a federal agent will investigate to document and verify
the kill and determine, if possible, the cause.
In the event of grizzly bear predation where
the bear is judged to be a nuisance, (food conditioned or habitually preying
on livestock) it will be removed or destroyed in accordance with a nuisance
bear plan that is currently in place for the North Cascades.
In other ecosystems, private organizations have
set up funds to compensate ranchers and farmers for losses from grizzly bears.
This has been discussed for the North Cascades but no firm obligations have
been made.
3)
May ranchers and farmers kill grizzlies that inflict damage on their stock or
property?
No. Protection of human life is the only
condition where individuals may kill a grizzly bear. Federal agents will
respond to all reports of grizzly bear damage to livestock or property and
appropriate action will be taken.
Ranching and grizzly
bears video.
Tips for the home or ranch.
Augmentation
1)
What is the difference between "augmentation" and
"re-introduction" as those words are used in discussions of grizzly
bear recovery?
Augmentation refers to adding animals to an
existing grizzly bear population. For example, grizzly bear population
augmentation has occurred in the Cabinet Mountains of Montana. Re-introduction
refers to relocating grizzly bears into an area previously inhabited, but no
longer occupied, by grizzly bears.
2)
Have grizzly bears been added to the North Cascades in the past?
No. This would not happen without an extensive
process that involves an Environmental Impact Statement under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). However there is a plan being considered by
British Columbia authorities to augment the population in that Province.
3)
Will grizzly bears from other places be moved to the North Cascades as part of
the recovery effort?
That decision has not been made.
Many biologists believe that the only way to
facilitate recovery and reduce the risk of extinction is through an
augmentation program. They estimate there are currently very few grizzly bears
in the North Cascades, perhaps as few as 5-20 animals in the U.S. portion.
Small populations such as this are highly vulnerable to extinction. Any
augmentation proposal would require preparation of an Environmental Impact
Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), in which a
variety of alternative steps would be evaluated. This would include a
significant effort to gather public input and review.
4)
Would problem bears be moved into the North Cascades?
No. No bears with a history of conflict with
humans would be moved into the North Cascades.
5)
How will the public participate in deciding if or how grizzly bears would be
moved into the North Cascades from other places?
A decision on whether or how augmentation might
be done could only be made after completion of an analysis prescribed by the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA requirements include public
input and consideration of issues raised by the public.
Human Safety
1)
How much danger do grizzly bears pose to humans?
The potential for having an adverse encounter
with a grizzly bear is extremely low. Even when they occur, most bear
encounters do not lead to human injury. Adverse encounters can usually be
avoided through awareness of conditions that may cause an encounter. Keeping a
clean camp, not approaching wildlife too closely, and avoiding situations that
might unknowingly surprise a bear will greatly decrease the risk of having an
unwanted bear encounter, or causing someone else to have one. Proper
sanitation practices and familiarity with bear behavior are likely to be the
best safeguards against unwanted encounters.
Grizzly bear management focuses on minimizing
or eliminating conditions that could attract bears to humans, such as improper
garbage disposal or sanitation, and promoting increased awareness among people
of how best to reduce the possibility of an adverse bear encounter. Proper
management minimizes the potential for conflicts.
2)
How can people in grizzly bear country avoid attracting bears?
There are many specific things people can do to
avoid attracting bears, either grizzly or black. Good sanitation is key to
many of these. Odors attract bears to potential food items; their curiosity
can even attract them to items that are not food, such as petroleum products
and toiletries. Carefully controlling odors associated with food and products
which humans use helps prevent bears from being habituated to being near
people. This means that we need to store our food, garbage, cooking gear, and
toiletries where bears cannot get them. Once conditioned to human sources of
food or garbage, a bear is dangerous. It may approach humans closely and come
into camps or near homes to search for food.
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee has
published pamphlets and posters describing how to hike and camp safely in bear
country. The North Cascades Grizzly Bear Outreach Project (GBOP) has also
produced information brochures and a website about grizzly bears and tips for
coexistence (www.bearinfo.org).
3) What is a BRFC?
Bear Resistant Food Containers (BRFCs) are
containers for camping, boating, and other recreational activities. They are
designed to keep bears out of your food and other odorous attractants
(toothpaste, utensils etc.). Bears are so successful as species because they
are opportunistic omnivores which means they are able to locate many different
food types over large areas in different seasons. The problem is that this
also leads them to human food when it is not stored properly - both in the
front country around human property and campgrounds, and also in the
backcountry when people don't hang their food and garbage appropriately out of
the reach of inquisitive bears. Once a bear becomes human food-conditioned it
is a tough habit to break. Like a dog begging at the dinner table - one treat
and it will be back for more. Human food is not only delicious, but high in
calories, and bears learn that quickly. Unfortunately, this usually leads to a
bear becoming more inclined to come into areas where there are humans, where
they often end up being killed. "A fed bear is a dead bear" as the
old adage goes. The BRFCs are designed to keep a bear from accessing your food
and other smelly items when in bear country. They are made from a very tough
polymer and are virtually indestructible. For more information: www.counterassault.com
4)
How will garbage disposal be addressed in the grizzly bear recovery process?
Making garbage unavailable to bears is
important in avoiding the conditioning of bears to foods and places associated
with people. Years of experience with limiting bears' access to garbage in
other areas will help land managers and property owners in the North Cascades
take practical steps ranging from installing bear-resistant dumpsters to
trucking garbage away from areas frequented by bears.
More on safety.
Useful links:
Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC):
www.fs.fed.us/r1/wildlife/igbc/
Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team:
http://nrmsc.usgs.gov/research/igbst-home.htm
Wind River Bear Institute:
www.beardogs.org
Living with Wildlife Foundation
http://www.lwwf.org/
More links
