Grizzly Bear

Ursus arctos horribilis

Very Easy (Promiscuous)

The **Grizzly Bear** or American Brown Bear (*Ursus arctos horribilis*) is a large North American bear featured in the Standard Edition of *Planet Zoo*.

## Zoopedia Description

### General

**Population in the Wild:** 55,000

Native to northern USA and Canada, the grizzly bear is in fact a subspecies of brown bear (or *Ursus arctos*) and is often called the North American brown bear to prevent confusion. A Grizzly can be identified by its thick, brown fur, a large shoulder hump, a straight snout and rounded ears. They have strong front legs with long claws used for digging and hunting. Grizzlies can grow extremely large, but often exhibit a lot of variation in size between different populations - the average male weighs around 528 lbs (239 kg) and measures 7.25 feet (2.2 meters) long, while an average female weighs 352 lbs (160 kg) and measures 6 ft (1.8 meters).

Although the population as a whole is not listed as endangered, there are sub-populations that are vulnerable; mostly those in areas of expanding human development. Additionally, bears are often attracted to areas where humans live due to plentiful scavenging opportunities, and this often leads to them being killed when perceived as a nuisance or a threat.

Bears are also killed for sport and trophy hunting, and this is often done unsustainably. Grizzly bears are registered as threatened in the USA and Canada, and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working to restore and protect bear populations in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington. Additionally, Canada closely monitors its bear population in various areas by logging DNA samples and taking censuses, noting when the population is increasing and decreasing, as well as by helping conservationists to target vulnerable populations.

### Social

Grizzly bears are solitary, the only exception being a mother with her cubs. They only interact with each other to mate or fight over mates. They may be seen in close quarters when there is a desirable food source, such as gathering at a river's edge during the salmon spawning season. However, bears will usually ignore each other if they come across one another.

### Reproduction

Male grizzly bears track females using the scent of their urine. When a male and female meet, they will play together; wrestling and pawing each other before mating. The female will be pregnant for 4 to 6 months, and she will give birth to 1 to 4 cubs during hibernation, without waking. The cubs will search out milk and suckle from their mother until the end of hibernation, when they will leave the den and have their first solid food. The bear cubs stay with their mother until they are 2 to 3 years old, at which point they will leave to establish their own territory.

## Animal Care

Grizzly bears require a relatively large amount of land. A grizzly habitat should be 750 square meters, plus 50 meters square per additional bear after the first. Grizzlies do not require navigable water, but will swim in it if it is provided. They also appear to enjoy underwater fish feeders. Grizzlies will climb on large climbing platforms if provided, but these are also not required. Grizzly bears are strong climbers, so climbable fences like logs or chain link should not be used.

 FEEDING STATIONS
 FOOD ENRICHMENT
Large Fixed Roller Feeder · Tree Scatter Feeder · Block of Frozen Fruit · Tree Forager · Bamboo Feeder · Block of Frozen Fish · Underwater Fish Feeder
Bobbin · Cardboard Box · Firehose Ball · Herb Scent Marker · Block of Ice · Large Ball · Prey-Scented Sack · Rubbing Pillar · Wind Chimes · Large Snow Ball · Gift Box · Bobbin Drum · Small Tyre · Scots Pine/Tamarind Scratching Tree · Submarine Buoy

## Trivia

### Zoopedia Fun Facts

* Grizzly bears hibernate for 5-7 months a year; they will eat huge amounts before hibernating to gain enough weight to survive this time without eating.
* The ‘hump’ visible on a grizzly bear’s back is a large amount of muscle that bears use when digging dens or hunting prey.
* Grizzly bears can gain 180kg of weight when preparing for hibernation.
* In the wild each cub in a grizzly bear litter may have a different father.
* Grizzly bears love to eat moths, and will make the extra effort to find moths by climbing to high altitudes and overturning rocks.

### Other Trivia and Information

* Planet Zoo does not simulate the massive weight gains grizzlies are known for in the wild. In nature, a grizzly may nearly double its body mass to prepare for winter, and then lose all that weight before the spring. The same bear that weighs 300 pounds in April may weigh 600 pounds by October. Real bears do not hibernate in captivity as long as food and warmth are provided year round, though their metabolism may drop and they may become less active during winter months.
* Public awareness campaigns such as "a fed bear is a dead bear" and the American NPS's "Save A Bear's Life!" campaign have seen moderate success in limiting human-ursine interactions between campers, but authorities in America are forced to euthanize around fifty bears annually due to human interaction, either to protect humans or to end the suffering of bears injured by semi trucks and trains.