Grizzly Bear

Random Facts: The grizzly is primarily nocturnal and in the winter puts on up to 400 lbs of fat becoming very lethargic. Not true hibernators, and can be woken easily, but they will den in a protected spot during winter months. The grizzly has a large hump over the shoulders which is a muscle mass used to power the forelimbs in digging. They are considered to be the most aggressive bears; they are too large to escape danger by running up a tree, so they stand their ground and ward off attackers. Mothers protecting their young are responsible for 70% of grizzly caused human fatalities. Normally a solitary animal, the grizzly congregates alongside streams and rivers during the salmon spawn.

Endangered: Lower Risk, least concern.

Habitat: Once native to Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America, it is now in some areas extinct, or numbers greatly reduced. In BC, they inhabit most of the province. Nearly have of Canada's grizzly population (13,000) live in BC. They prefer semi-open country in mountainous areas.

Food: Omnivores: feed on a variety of plants and berries, roots, sprouts, fungi, fish, insects, and small mammals.