Watch a Mother Moose Fiercely Defend Her Two Calves Against a Stalking Grizzly

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This hugely popular clip was captured at the stunning Denali National Park in Alaska, US. It was first posted in July 2011 and since then it has had over 12 million views. It shows an adult grizzly stalking a mother moose and her two calves. At the start of the action, the grizzly bear has spotted the moose family but they seem completely unaware of this fact.

However, in a later sequence, the mother turns around to face the bear and challenges it by running at it. This bear is persistent and continues to stalk the potential prey. The moose eventually finds herself in a car park where there is a showdown with the bear – she chases it away once more. As she crosses a road and wades into a river, the bear is still in pursuit. However, it does get a bit distracted by the water – possibly because there are some fish in it. We learn from the updated video notes that the bear was not successful on this occasion.

What Do Grizzly Bears Normally Eat?

Grizzly bears are a species of brown bears and get their name from the ‘grizzled’ appearance of their coats. They live in a variety of habitats including mountain forests, subalpine meadows, wetlands, grasslands, and coastal areas. As well as being found in Alaska, they can be spotted in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and possibly southern Colorado, as well as in western Canada. Their range is just a fraction of what it historically would have been.

Within these habitats, they have multiple food sources and their main diet will vary depending on where they live. For example, grizzlies in Canada and Alaska eat a lot of salmon. Scientists know this from collecting and studying their poop!

How Large Do Grizzly Bears Get?

Just looking at a Grizzly Bear, you may have a misconception of a larger weight based solely on body mass and thick fur. While the largest recorded grizzly bear, which was captured in Alaska, tipped the scales at an estimated 1,600 pounds and stood over 10 feet tall on its hind legs. The average male grizzly bear weight ranges between 400 to 600 pounds, while females typically fall within the range of 290 to 440 pounds.

Furthermore, genetics are generally believed to play a primary factor in contributing to the exceptional growth of any sizable grizzly bear.

The Varied Grizzly Bear Diet

Overall, they are omnivores and they will eat most things including bulbs, berries, nuts, and fruit. However, they will also eat insects (which they dig in the ground to find), rodents, and fish which they pluck out of the water.  For most grizzlies, plants make up over 90 percent of their diet. They will also happily eat carrion.

However, they also consider moose calves to be a legitimate target and the same goes for young deer and elk. They just have to get past the Mom first!