Description - Known by some as the North American Brown Bear, Grizzly bears, although often brown can range in a multitude of colours from light blond and albino all the way to jet black. How big do Grizzly Bears get you ask? The male (boar) Kodiak Bear averages a weight in a good habitat of 700 pounds or more depending on their food source, while the female (sow) weighs around 2/3’s of what the boars weigh. With the average weight of Male Grizzly Bears in Alberta throughout the year at around 400lbs. The 2 main dominant and the most well-known Grizzlies in Banff and the surrounding area for the past 15 years are The Boss (Bear 122) and Split Lip (Bear 136). They average around in the 500-600 lbs. range depending on the season. Grizzlies on average are just over 3 feet at the shoulder and about 6 and a half feet in length. Their average life span is around 22 years.
Habitat - Grizzlies mark their territory by scratching bark with their claws and by biting chunks out of stumps. While abundant in Western Canada, Alaska and the Yukon, less than 1,000 remain in America due to over hunting. In Alberta they are found in the mountain and foothills as well as some of the boreal forest regions in Alberta. However, they do prefer riparian areas (the zone of transition between a water body and the upland vegetation, such a streambanks and flooded areas, the vegetation is these areas rely on the presence of water). Be aware of this when hiking in and around the mountains and foothills of Alberta and British Columbia. Grizzlies also tend to favor old forests with high proactivity.
Tracks and Scat
Key Features – One of the most noticeable features on a Grizzly Bear is a muscular hump on adult Grizzly Bears (Black Bears don’t have this hump) in between their shoulders which is used to power their front legs which are used for digging and Tearing apart rotten logs as they search for insects, grubs etc. A Grizzly Bears front claws when compared to a Black Bear are usually twice the length at around 2-4 inches long as opposed to a Black Bear whose front claws are roughly 1-2 inches long. The rump of Grizzly Bears is lower than their shoulders while a Black Bears are higher.
Signs of Animal Activity / Warning Signs – Some signs of Grizzly Bear activity are scratch marks from their claws observed on trees in the area as well as fresh tracks and scats (see Tracks and Scat). If you happen to come across a Grizzly Bear and it does any of the following:
Behaviors – Grizzly Bears are normally a solitary animal but have been seen and documented feeding in a group such as when the salmon are spawning in British Columbia. Were you aware that Bears prefer the eggs and brain leaving the rest of the salmon? These parts of the salmon hold the most nutritional fat when fish are in abundance. When fish are not in as plentiful, they will usually devour the entire fish. Grizzlies are known to be very territorial animals that is of course unless a huge food source is in abundance, even then there is a hierarchy when it comes to feeding based on dominance. If a Grizzly does happen to encounter a Black Bear, the Black Berar will usually flee. Predatory attacks on Black Bears by Grizzlies are rare, they do happen. One of Banff National Parks Grizzly Bears named Split Lip whom in mentioned earlier possibly killed and ate a Black Bear near the Mystic Pass Area in 2015.
In 2013 The Boss both killed and ate a Black Bear along the Sundance Canyon Trail. And thought to have eaten another Black Bear in 2012 as well.
Most Active Time – While Grizzly Bears do hunt and feed during the day, they are most active during early morning and dusk.
Mating Season and Young – Newborns (cubs) can weigh under 500 grams and are most often twins. They are usually born in the months of January and February.
Diet – The Grizzly Bear is an omnivore means it eats a wide range of both plants and meat. They will feed on everything from dandelions and berries, to plant roots, grasses and shoots. From small mammal’s, fish, deer and elk among other hooved animals like goats and sheep as well as carrion (dead and rotting flesh). Grizzlies are also known in Alberta to head for higher elevations in the fall as they search under rocks for moths. The body of the moth is mostly fat and a perfect way for the Grizzly Bear to pack on weight prior to its interesting type of hibernations (see Migratory or Hibernation Patterns). When food is abundant Grizzly Bears can be seen feeding in groups with a set hierarchy which is fought for and earned among the big males, when food is scarce, they tend to go solo. In the spring they tend to feed on animal carcasses that died over the winter.
Did you know large male Grizzly Bears can devour over 200,000 buffalo berries a day. Buffalo berry season in Alberta usually runs from the middle of July to September on average. And Grizzlies will feat up to 20 hours a day on these berries.
Even though bears are considered naturally shy animals and only act aggressive when threatened, please keep in mind that Grizzly Bears are an Apex predator which means they are at the top of the food chain, without natural predators.
Bears usually attack for one of two reasons. One reason is because they feel threatened or they have young present or because you startled them, this is known as a defensive attack and will likely end when the Bear feels satisfied that you are no longer a threat. If this is the case, get ready to use you bear spray. If a Grizzly Bear knocks you down, try to roll over onto your stomach and place your hands over the back of your neck so it is not exposed easily to the bear. DO NOT RUN OR TURN YOUR BACK ON A GRIZZLY BEAR. If you are backing away slowly, and the Bear keeps approaching you, stand your ground and have your Bear spray ready. As I have just mentioned there are two main reason why a Bear attacks, the second one is known as a predatory attack in which the Grizzly Bear see’s you as prey although this type of attack is very rare , it is more common with Black Bears at night. If this does happen the Grizzly will become very focused on you and could exhibit some of the qualities, I mentioned at the beginning of this section on Signs of Animal Activity / Warning Signs. If this does happen talk to it in a firm voice, try to move out of its way, if the Grizzly Bear seems to still be focusing on you, stand your ground with your bear spray. If a Grizzly Bear attacks seems for certain, verify that the safety tab is removed from your bear spray as it should be when you first encounter a Bear of any kind in the wild. Spray the bear when he gets within range, then it should run off, make sure to leave the area immediately and report the encounter with as many details as possible to the local wildlife conservation officers.
Did you know than an adult Grizzly Bear can cover 150 feet in just 3 seconds? Bears can run as fast as 56 km/h, so make sure your bear spray is in an easily accessible area -- so you can get to it fast.
Migratory or Hibernation Patterns – Contrary to popular belief Bears do not hibernate. Bears instead enter a state called Torpor (which lasts about 5-7 months depending on climate). What does this mean you ask? Well most animals who hibernate do not wake up if they hear large sounds or they are touched by something. But if a Bear is in torpor it will wake up very quickly which is one reason to always carry bear spray even in the winter. As we seen in February of 2019 when some skiers were skiing in an area of Upper Kananaskis Lake in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park when they woke a Grizzly, luckily no one including the bear was hurt. In 2015 in Banff National Park near a mountain where two ice climbers were climbing, they stumbled across a den, and one of the 2 men were attacked by a Grizzly Bear who bit into his shin according to an article in the Calgary Herald I read. Just remember to be Bear Aware when travelling in Bear Country.
