There are a couple of reasons why this Mom grizzly is extremely unhappy about the presence of another bear. The first is that she wants to protect her meal – bears take food very seriously. Secondly, she has some cubs to protect and mother bears are extremely protective of their offspring. Scroll down to see the extraordinary footage of a female bear getting very cross indeed!
What Do Grizzly Bears Normally Eat?
Grizzly bears are large animals and need a lot of food to keep them going. Adult grizzlies can weigh up to 800 pounds and can stand at 10 feet tall. As omnivores, they eat both plants and animals and can consume as much as 90 pounds of food in a single day. A large part of their diet is made up of berries, roots, and grasses. However, if they come across insects and small mammals such as mice, they are also happy to eat these. Some grizzly bears are very accomplished hunters and can catch deer and elk carbs. Others can even tackle adults of the species. As we see in this clip, they are also able to catch fish.
Human food and human garbage are handy sources of calories for many grizzly bears. However, this can lead to problems if the bears get too used to hanging around human settlements. They can become aggressive and over-familiar with human company and this makes them dangerous.
How Many Cubs Do Grizzly Bears Normally Have?
It looks as if this mother bear has three cubs to keep an eye on. Usually, grizzly bears look for mates in the spring and early summer. However, the fertilized embryos do not implant unless the female bear gains enough weight during the summer and fall. Providing she is heavy enough, the pregnancy will proceed and she will give birth in January or February. Most grizzlies have two cubs in one litter but it can be anything between one and four. The mother looks after them inside the den until the spring when they all emerge into the world.
Grizzly bears look after their cubs for around two years. During this time, she provides them with food and protects them. When they are two and a half years old, they usually head off by themselves. This is when she is ready to breed again. It’s not unusual to see grizzlies congregating at rivers where there is plenty of fish. This can lead to disputes if other bears arrive and try to take the catch from a hungry grizzly!
Watch the Extraordinary Footage Below
The photo featured at the top of this post is © PhotoBarmaley/Shutterstock.com
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.
