Brown Bear Info & Etiquette
Katmai Brown
Bear Facts
Subfamily Ursinae
 Ursus Arctos
Length: 7-9 feet
Weight: Males 400-1100 lbs.; Females 200-600 lbs.
Color: Dark brown to blonde
Alaska Population Estimate: 35,000-45,000
Appearance
The brown bears (sometimes called grizzly in North America) of Katmai are usually dark brown in color, though they can vary from a light creamy shade through to black. The long guard hairs over the shoulders and back are often tipped with white, which, from a distance, gives a grizzled appearance. The brown bear is characterized by a distinctive hump on the shoulders, a slightly dished profile to the face, and long claws on the front paws.
Habitat
Katmai National Park, a wide range of habitats, is the largest grizzly preserve in the world. Katmai bears occupy habitats including dense forests, subalpine mountain areas, and tundra. They were once abundant on the central plains of North America, but have since become exterminated.
Distribution
The range of brown bears is widest of any species of bear in the world. In Alaska, brown bears can be found in the coastal areas of Katmai, southeastern Alaska, and up into the Arctic circle. They are also found in localized populations in eastern and western Europe, across northern Asia and in Japan. In North America, brown bears are also found in western Canada and in the states of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Washington.
 Reproduction
Female Katmai bears reach sexual maturity at four-and-a-half to seven years of age. Males may become mature at a similar age but are probably not large enough to enter the breeding population until they are eight to ten years old. Mating takes place from early May to the middle of July but implantation does not occur until about October or November. The young are born from about January to March. The litter size ranges from one to four, but two is most common. Cubs remain with their mothers for at least two-and-a half years, so the most frequently a female can breed is every two-and-a-half years. Longevity in the wild is 20 to 25 years.
Social system
Under most circumstances, Katmai bears live as lone individuals, except for females accompanied by their cubs. Katmai bears are distributed in overlapping home ranges. Despite their propensity for a solitary existence, Katmai bears congregate at high densities where food is abundant, such as the salmon streams and sedge grass areas of Katmai National Park.
Diet
Katmai bears eat mainly vegetation such as grasses, sedges, bulbs and roots. They also eat fish, small mammals, and insects such as ants. In some areas they have become significant predators of large hoofed mammals such as moose, caribou, and elk.
Learn a bit about bears from these four articles:
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You can help wildlife
Much of Alaska's wildlife is migratory, spending the Winter in other locations on the globe. So, no matter where you live, you can help Alaska's wildlife:
- Volunteer at your local park, refuge, forest or wildlife agency. Help is needed with the conservation and education programs.
- Volunteer as an observer for the annual Christmas Bird Count, Breeding Bird Survey, or Project Feederwatch sponsored locally and nationally by The National Audubon Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other organizations.
- Improve wildlife habitat around your home, school or business by providing native vegetation, water and well maintained bird feeders and bird houses.
- Reduce waste and energy use. Reuse and recycle materials.
- Join a wildlife conservation group.
- Show elected representatives you care about wildlife. When important issues come up, contact them by phone and by letter.
- Protecting wildlife isn't cheap. Donate to the Alaska Watchable Wildlife Conservation Trust, a joint program of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Alaska Conservation Foundation, and other agencies and organizations. The trust supports conservation of wildlife and the enhancement of viewing opportunities.
c/o Alaska Conservation Foundation
430 W. 7th, Suite 215
Anchorage, Ak 99501
Phone...(907) 276-1917 |
