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The Super Sniffers

Posted by Bear World on Dec 2, 2014 in Blog | Comments Off on The Super Sniffers

You may have heard the surprising statistic that a bear’s sense of smell is seven times greater than that of a bloodhound (which can already pick out smells 1,000 times better than a human being). Bears are leagues ahead of us when it comes to sniffing out mates, danger, and most importantly, food. While you might be able to detect fresh baked chocolate chip cookies when you walk into your home, bears can catch the scent of their prey from a few miles away—or around...

How Do Bears Spend the Winter?

Posted by Bear World on Nov 3, 2014 in Blog | Comments Off on How Do Bears Spend the Winter?

With the approaching winter, you may be looking forward to ice-skating, hot chocolate, knitted scarves, snowball fights, and gift-giving. Or you might be dreading scraping off your car in the morning before work. Either way, you have a pretty good idea of how you will spend your winter months. But what about bears? Do you know how these famous animals will spend the season? Hibernation…? Thanks to decades of cartoons and movies, we all think of bears as soon as we...

The Iconic Teddy Bear

Posted by Bear World on Oct 6, 2014 in Blog | Comments Off on The Iconic Teddy Bear

What do America’s 26th president and a large, lumbering omnivore have in common? They both passed their names on to a small, cuddly creation we know as the Teddy bear. Across the globe, both children and adults recognize the Teddy bear even over a century after its invention. You probably remember snuggling one yourself as a kid—or maybe just last night. But why do we call them Teddy bears? How did our favorite grizzly and black bears become associated with the...

GRIZZY BEARS!!!!!

Posted by Bear World on Feb 25, 2011 in Blog | Comments Off on GRIZZY BEARS!!!!!

The word “grizzly” in its name refers to “grizzled” or grey hairs in its fur, but when naturalist George Ord formally named the bear in 1815, he misunderstood the word as “grisly”. The grizzly bear is a subspecies of the brown bear. A pronounced muscular hump occurs on their shoulders which strengthens their front limbs for digging and running. Grizzlies can attain a speed of about 35 mph. Once mated with a male in the summer, the...

Elk (Cervus elaphus)

Posted by Bear World on Feb 9, 2011 in Blog | Comments Off on Elk (Cervus elaphus)

Bull = Male adult; Cow = Female adult; Calf = baby; Spike = Yearling male Calves are Typically born in late May through early June and are born spotted and scentless An elks diet consists mostly of grasses, forbs, shrubs, tree bark, and twigs An elk’s stomach has four chambers: the first stores food, and the other three digest it Antlers = Only male elk have antlers; Bulls shed and grow a new set of antlers every year; New antlers are covered in fuzzy skin called...

Bison

Posted by Bear World on Feb 3, 2011 in Blog | Comments Off on Bison

Also known as the American buffalo (although it isn’t related to the true buffalo). Due to their large size few predators attack bison. However, wolf packs can take down a bison. There are even documented cases of a single wolf taking down bison The bison’s main food is grass. The rutting, or mating, season lasts from June through September with peak activity in July and August. At this time, the older bulls rejoin the herd and fights often take place...

Mountain Goats (Oreamnos americanus)

Posted by Bear World on Jan 20, 2011 in Blog | Comments Off on Mountain Goats (Oreamnos americanus)

Adult males = Billy; Adult females = Nannies; Babie = Kids Both male and female mountain goats have beards, short tails, and long black horns, 15–28 cm in length, which contain yearly growth rings. Male goats also have longer horns and a longer beard than nannies. The mountain goat’s feet have inner pads that provide traction and cloven hooves that can be spread apart as needed. Also, the tip of their feet have Dewclaws that are sharp to keep them from...

What is Delayed Implantation?

Posted by Bear World on Dec 22, 2010 in Blog | Comments Off on What is Delayed Implantation?

Only the coolest part about being a momma bear! Did you know they are only REALLY pregnant for about 2 months?! Let me explain… North American Black bears usually mate in May and June, however, the cubs are not born until mid January. So, how are they pregnant for only 2 months you ask? Delayed Implantation is how. After mating, the fertilized egg develops into a tiny ball of cells or “blastocyst”, at which time development stops and the...

Where do the Bears go in the Winter?

Posted by Bear World on Dec 1, 2010 in Blog | Comments Off on Where do the Bears go in the Winter?

Many people wonder where all the bears at Yellowstone Bear World go in the winter. The answer is that they all stay right here! Throughout the park there are dens that are set up year round that the bears sleep in. When winter begins to set in the bears gradually disappear into their dens. Some of the bears like to sleep alone, and other like to sleep with their friends. The dens are covered with logs and branches on the top to insulate the area and keep it warm, and...

Bear Safety Tips

Posted by Bear World on Nov 22, 2010 in Blog | Comments Off on Bear Safety Tips

As promised, here are some great tips on how to stay safe when you’re in Bear Country. Keeping the surrounding area free of bear- attractants. Keep your trash in bear-resistant containers, don’t hang bird-feeders, and do not leave food, grease, or left-overs from meals lying out. You should also secure pet-food. If you are camping, then store your food in a bag and suspend it from a tree away from your campground. Cook 100 m downwind from your tent. Doing...