|
BROWN BEARS IN ALASKA
Description
Brown bears are distinguished by their prominent shoulder humps, dish-shaped faces, and long front claws. Their coats range in color from honey blonde to deep chocolate, with colors often varying on the same bear.
Brown bears spend most of their waking hours in search of food. They gain weight rapidly during late summer and fall, prior to denning. At this time, most adult males weigh between 500 and 900 pounds, with extremely large individuals weighing as much as 1,400 pounds. Such a bear, when standing on its hind feet, is about 9 feet tall. Females weigh half to three-quarters as much. Inland bears are usually smaller than coastal bears because they do not have a readily available supply of protein-rich food, such as salmon, in their diet.
Brown bears have an especially keen sense of smell, sometimes detecting odors a mile away. Their hearing is also quite good and, contrary to myth, their eyesight is probably equivalent to that of humans.
Habitat
Brown bears can be found throughout Alaska, with the exception of the Aleutians and a few islands in Southeast. They prefer open areas, such as tundra, alpine meadows and coastlines.
Human Use
In some areas, brown bears are a traditional subsistence food and source of cooking oil. They are also hunted for their hides and skulls.
Life History
Mating takes place May through July. Individual bears are rarely seen with a mate for more than a week, and males may breed with more than one female. Fertilized eggs are not implanted within the female until the late fall. If she is not adequately nourished by this time, no embryos develop. Cubs, weighing less than a pound, are born in January or February within winter dens. Litters range from one to four cubs, but two is most common. Off-spring usually separate from their mothers as two or three year olds. Wild brown bears may live 32 years; bears in captivity have been known to live more than 30 years.
Like humans, brown bears consume a variety of foods, including vegetation, fish, insects, ground sq uirrels, and carrion. When the opportunity presents itself, they also prey on newborn moose and caribou as well as adult animals.
Except for females with offspring and breeding pairs, bears are generally solitary creatures. Exceptions occur where food is concentrated, such as at salmon streams.
Most Alaska bears hibernate through the winter. While in this condition, their temperature and heart rate are reduced, and they do not eat or drink. In northern parts of the state, bears may spend from six to 7.5 months in dens. As a result, bears need an enormous amount of food during the rest of the year to meet their annual nutritional needs.
Though their usual gait is a slow walk, brown bears are capable of moving very quickly. They are also extremely strong. One bear was observed killing and dragging a 990 pound bison.
Management
Over the years, Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists have conducted research on the movements, food habits, denning requirements, reproductive characteristics, and habitat use of brown bears. The state also strictly regulates the taking of bears. Regulations prohibit the taking of cubs or sows with cubs. Use of bait for hunting is illegal, and no part of any brown bear may be bought or sold. In most areas of the state, hunters are also required to bring bear hides and skulls to the department for inspection. Hunting seasons and bag limits are taken and that the overall health of populations is maintained. Bears killed in defense of life or property must be turned over to the state.
Conservation
Brown bears once inhabited much of North America from the Great Plains to California. They disappeared from most states due to habitat loss and efforts to eradicate them. Today they occupy less than 1% of their former range. In Alaska, however, brown bear populations are healthy. Roughly 35,000-45,000 of these magnificent creatures live here. About a thousand are taken each year by hunters.
Bears are sensitive to habitat destruction and human encroachment. As people move into areas where brown bears live, we often compete with them for food and space. As a result, some bears are killed by people defending their lives or property. Such incidents can be reduced by properly disposing of garbage and learning how to behave around bears in the wild.
Source Alaska Dept. Fish and Game
|
