Named after Monarch, the grizzly bear whose image graces our state flag and who was the inspiration for this Zoo, this donation will help create a secure future for the Zoo. Learn more . . .
Grizzly Bear Ursus arctos
Fascinating Facts
The guard hairs on the back are tipped in white, giving them a “grizzled” appearance – hence their name.
The grizzly bear is the California state mammal and the symbol on the California state flag.
Physical Characteristics
Their pelt shows a variety of colors from blond, brown, black or a combination of these. The large shoulder hump provides the muscle power to the forelimbs to dig winter dens, dig up roots, strike down a prey animal or compete with rival males. The front claws are up to four inches long. They walk flat-footed (plantigrade). The head is massive with small eyes and ears and a dish-shaped face. They have omnivore teeth consisting of both grinding molars and piercing canines.
Habitat/Diet
They're found in high mountain wooded areas, tundra and alpine meadows in Alaska, Western Canada, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming. Omnivores, they eat a variety of plants and berries, insect, fish and small mammals.
Social Behavior
Except for females with young and gatherings during salmon runs, these bears live a solitary existence. They have an acute sense of smell and excellent hearing. Their ability to run up to 35 mph makes them a formidable predator.
Dens (rock caves, hollow trees or dug in the ground) are used by all grizzlies for protection and security in winter. Grizzlies enter a dormancy that is triggered by fat store, not cold weather. They are not true hibernators since their body temperature and pulse rates do not drop. Depending on available resources, they can gain around 400 pounds in the fall. Dens are used only once including day dens during spring and summer. Females hold exclusive home ranges while a male may overlap several of these ranges.
Breeding occurs during May and June with courtship lasting 2–15 days. The fertilized eggs only implant when the female is ready to den in October and November. Males must cover large amounts of territory since only one out of three females will breed in any given year. An individual female may reproduce once in 3–5 years since they remain with their cubs for up to 3 1/2 years. Cubs are born from January through March and don't leave the den until after April. Mothers protect them from adult males while teaching them how to hunt and fish.
Status In The Wild
Between 1800 and 1975, the grizzly bear population in the lower 48 states decreased from more than 50,000 to less than 1,000 due to predatory persecution, hunting for sport, and people taking over their habitat and causing large-scale deforestation. Grizzly bears, once prevalent in California, have been extinct in this state since the 1920s. They have been classified as a “threatened” species in the United States since 1975.
Other
Our two female grizzly bears were orphaned as cubs in Montana and cared for by Montana wildlife officials before being released to the wild. Used to human-induced food rewards, they were considered “problem” animals after invading the ranch of some Montana residents. After several attempts to relocate them away from human development and numerous phone calls to find the bears a new home, Montana wildlife officials were forced to make the agonizing decision to euthanize them, when the Zoo agreed to take them in. You can find our grizzly sisters in Hearst Grizzly Gulch.
