Grizzly Bear Facts: Behavior, Diet & Habitat

Grizzly bears are powerful subspecies of brown bears found across North America. Despite their fearsome reputation, these massive animals spend most of their time eating plants and preparing for their long winter sleep.

How Grizzlies Prepare for Hibernation

Before winter arrives, grizzly bears enter a feeding frenzy called hyperphagia. During this period, they consume up to 20,000 calories per day and can gain 400 pounds in just a few months. They eat almost constantly, spending 20 hours a day foraging for food. This weight gain is crucial for surviving 5 to 7 months of hibernation without eating or drinking.

The Most Powerful Nose in North America

Grizzlies possess the most acute sense of smell of any land animal. They can detect food from 20 miles away and smell a dead animal from 10 miles upwind. This incredible ability is seven times better than a bloodhound and 2,100 times better than humans.

Surprising Speed and Strength

Despite weighing up to 800 pounds, grizzly bears can sprint at 35 mph, fast enough to catch a running horse. Their massive shoulder hump contains pure muscle that powers their front legs for digging and striking. A single swipe from a grizzly's paw can generate enough force to break a moose's spine.

Mother Bears and Cubs

Female grizzlies give birth during hibernation to tiny cubs weighing just 1 pound. Mothers nurse and protect their cubs for 2 to 3 years, teaching them essential survival skills. During this time, mother bears are extremely protective and will fiercely defend their young from any threat.

Diet and Feeding Habits

Contrary to popular belief, grizzly bears are 90% vegetarian. They eat roots, berries, grasses, and nuts. However, they are opportunistic hunters and will catch salmon during spawning season, hunt elk calves, or scavenge carrion when available.

Conservation Success Story

Grizzly bears were once hunted to near extinction in the lower 48 states. Conservation efforts have helped populations recover from fewer than 1,000 bears in 1975 to approximately 2,000 today in the continental United States. Alaska and Canada host the largest populations with over 50,000 bears combined.