About
Grizzly
Bears
Grizzly
Bears
About
Grizzly
Bears
Grizzly
Bears
Are you visiting or moving to grizzly country, or just curious about these amazing animals? We’ve worked with grizzly bear experts to deliver information you can trust and resources you can use.
Meet the Grizzly Bear
Where Grizzly Bears Live
Most of the world’s grizzly bears make their home in Alaska and northern Canada. But after decades of conservation, grizzly bear populations are once again stable and expanding in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington.
Well before Lewis and Clark penned the first scientific observations about grizzly bears more than 200 years ago, legends about the “great white bear” abounded among Native Americans. Early explorers, pioneers, and settlers spun stories and tall tales about vicious, man-eating bears that helped perpetuate the myth of the grizzly as a fierce and aggressive animal.
The Nature of Grizzlies
In reality, grizzly bears are seldom aggressive towards people and would prefer to avoid us whenever possible. Like many wild animals, grizzly bears can be very dangerous if surprised, approached or threatened. But people and grizzly bears can safely share the landscape as long as people learn how to avoid attracting bears and adopt practices that help keep people safe and bears wild. Keep reading to learn more about grizzlies.
ON THIS PAGE:
Meet the Grizzly Bear
Where Grizzly Bears Live
The Nature of Grizzlies
Strength, Size, Diet of Grizzlies
Mother Bears and Cubs
Home Ranges, Not Territories
Looking for more?
How to Tell a Black Bear from a Grizzly
The Nature of Grizzlies
Strength, Size, Diet of Grizzlies
Mother Bears and Cubs
Home Ranges, Not Territories
Strong as a Bear
All species of bears are incredibly strong for their size; grizzly bears have heavy bones with thick layers of muscles built for massive strength, quickness and speed. With their long, curved front claws, they can flip over boulders or rip apart logs. An adult grizzly bear can easily carry a large carcass in its mouth for a half-mile or more or tip over a 700-pound dumpster.
How Big is a Grizzly Bear?
Adult grizzly bears south of the Canadian border average 3½ to 4½ feet tall on all fours and 5 to 8 feet tall standing on their hind legs. While a bear taller than you might seem intimidating, bears stand up to get a better look or smell of something; it’s not an aggressive posture. Adult grizzly bears in the lower 48 states can weigh between 250 and more than 600 pounds, depending on the age and sex of the bear.
What’s on the Menu?
Grizzly bears and black bears are both omnivores, which means they’ll eat just about anything with calories, including berries, roots, bulbs, nuts and insects; industriously dig up ground-dwelling rodents and patiently consume thousands of cutworm moths. Grizzlies typically eat more meat than black bears, and will hunt elk, deer and occasionally moose and bison.
Mother Bears and Cubs
Grizzly bears don’t breed until they’re at least five years old; most commonly producing two cubs, but litters can vary between one and four. Cubs are born in the den over the winter and will stay with their mothers for at least the next two years.
Mother bears are dedicated and patient, spending many hours teaching their cubs how to survive on their own. Male bears of both species play no role in raising cubs.
Both species are protective of their young but instinctively respond in different ways to anything they perceive as a threat. A mother black bear will typically run away when possible or send cubs up a tree to get them out of harm’s way. Grizzly bears don’t instinctively climb trees to escape and may confront “danger” head-on rather than run away. Grizzly bears are much more likely to aggressively defend themselves and their young from any real or perceived threats to their safety rather than try to escape or patiently wait for you to go away.
Curious, Intelligent and Resourceful
Curious, Intelligent and ResourcefulBoth grizzly bears and black bears are curious, very intelligent and resourceful, with a powerful sense of smell that can lead them to food and alert them to danger. They also learn quickly, have great memories and tend to repeat any behaviors that prove successful. This is why bears return to known food sources, whether that’s a berry patch that ripens in July or garbage cans that go out Thursday night.
Grizzly bear photo courtesy of Derek Reich, Zöoprax Productions
Home Ranges, Not Territories
Grizzly bears need a lot of room in order to thrive. Males roam the most, using areas from 200 to 600 square miles. Females use areas between 50 and 300 square miles. An individual bear may travel between 20 and 40 miles in a single day. Adult grizzly bears are normally solitary, but they’re not territorial, and home ranges of adult bears frequently overlap.
The size of any one bear’s home range can expand or shrink based on food availability, weather conditions, and the presence of other bears. While bears do their best to avoid each other, they generally respect one another’s space and peacefully coexist when it’s to their advantage. It’s not uncommon to see several bears working an expanse of ripening berries or fishing along a stream.
Learn More:
Grizzly-sized thanks to all the bear biologists and other experts from our BearWise member states of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington, the National Park Service and the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee who helped ensure that we deliver scientifically sound information you can trust and resources you can use.
Learn About These Agencies & Find Additional Resources
How to Tell a Black Bear from a Grizzly
