Watch a Moose Family Wander Straight Into a Sneaky Grizzly Trap

Key Points:

• Grizzles grow up to 900 pounds and they need a lot of food to support that huge body -up to 90 pounds a day.
• Surprisingly omnivorous, grizzlies mostly eat fruit, nuts, berries, and fish but do eat young mammals like deer and moose if they are hungry and the opportunity presents itself.
• A grizzly bear can exercise great patience in waiting for the best moment to attack its prey.

Bears have a number of strategies that they use to hunt prey – and being sneaky is one of them. Luck also comes into it. This vid was filmed at the Denali National Park in Alaska but the camera is quite some distance away so sometimes you have to concentrate hard to spot the animals. The bear seems pretty relaxed and at the start of the footage it is strolling on a mountainside, across a stream, and even stops to scratch its back. On the opposite mountainside, there is a female moose with two calves.

The Hunt Is On – Or Is It?

This bear seems to have the good fortune to have dinner literally walk right up to it rather than launch a strenuous hunt. The grizzly is partially hidden by some trees and clearly, the moose family has not spotted it at all because they all walk right up to it. The bear, however, has seen them and stays absolutely still whilst a meal delivers itself.

The inevitable happens. The moose suddenly start to run away and, at first, the bear runs after the mother. However, the clever predator soon changes its mind and switches attention to one of the calves. This is a much better strategy for a hungry bear. The meal may not be as large, but the chances of success are much higher. The risk of injury (from a hefty kick) is also less. The poor mother can only turn around and watch as her calf is devoured.

Grizzly Bear Diet and Lifestyle

Grizzly bears spend a lot of time hunting for food. They are native to North America and live in forests and mountainous regions. Grizzles are large animals, growing up to 800 or even 900 pounds and they need a lot of food to support that huge body -up to 90 pounds a day. So, what do they eat?

You may be surprised to learn that grizzly bears are omnivores and don’t actually eat only meat. They feast on berries, grasses, and roots. Their animal protein is derived from fish, insects, and mice. However, they are also prepared to put the effort in and catch a moose calf to get a bigger meal. Grizzlies also kill adult moose, mainly in the spring.

Where do Grizzlies Live?

Grizzly bears are considered threatened after being excessively overhunted, leaving less than 1,500 left in the United States, plus 31,000 in the state of Alaska. These large brown bears once roamed throughout the entire western United States into Mexico. Now, 98% of their native habitat is no longer home to them. There are populations of grizzlies in the Northern Rocky Mountains including Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks and in northwestern Montana and extreme northern Idaho next to Canada. Most grizzlies in the United States live in Alaska. Thanks to conservation efforts – grizzly bears are recovering well in Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies and are beginning to increase their numbers in Montana.

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