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"Bear clubfoot the forest is coming, collects cones, sings a song ... " Brown bear often mentioned in fairy tales, and in sayings, and in children's songs. In folklore, he appears in the image of a kind, awkward dismissal, strong and simple-minded.
It appears in a different light in heraldry: the image adorns many coats of arms and national flags. Here he is a symbol of strength, ferocity and power. “The master of the taiga” is how the Siberians call him. And in this they are right. Brown bear- one of the largest land predators, an intelligent and merciless hunter.
Features and habitat of the brown bear
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) belongs to the bear family and is second in size only to its Arctic counterpart. Description of the brown bear we must start with its unprecedented growth.
The largest brown bears live in the Alaska region and are called Kodiaks. Their length reaches 2.8 m, the height at the withers is up to 1.6 m, the mass of clubfoot giants can exceed 750 kg. Most big brown bear, caught for the Berlin zoological park, weighed 1134 kg.
Our Kamchatka bears practically do not differ from them in size. The average length of a brown bear ranges from 1.3-2.5 m, weight - 200-450 kg. As a rule, males are 1.5 times more powerful and heavier than females.
The body of the forest hero is covered with thick dense wool, which protects him from annoying in the summer heat, and from the cold in the autumn-spring period.
The wool cover consists of short fluffy villi to keep warm and longer ones to keep moisture out. Hair grows in such a way that in rainy weather drops roll off the wool, almost without wetting it.
Color - all shades of brown. Bears different climatic zones differ: in some, the coat is golden-yellow, while in others it is close to black.
Bears are often observed near rivers during the salmon run. They swim well and skillfully catch fish going to spawn. Carrion is another source of food.
And although hunting is not a food strategy for brown bears, they can attack, and even. They are especially active at dusk - before dawn or late in the evening, although they can roam the forest in broad daylight.
Reproduction and life expectancy of a brown bear
Bears bring offspring with an interval of 2-4 years. Estrus begins in May and can last from 10 days to a month. Male bears during this period are characterized by a loud and booming roar and aggressive behavior. Fights between rivals are a frequent phenomenon and often end in the death of one of the bears.
The mother bear stays in a state of pregnancy for about 200 days. The development of embryos occurs only when it goes into hibernation. Bear cubs (usually 2-3) are born in a den in the middle of winter, deaf, blind and poorly furred. Only after 2 weeks they begin to hear, after a month - to see. The weight of a newborn is about 0.5 kg, length - 20-23 cm.
It's amazing how different maternal instinct while in the den and after leaving. If the bear is awakened, she will leave her lair and unintelligent defenseless babies and will never return to this place.
The mother feeds the cubs for about 120 days, then they switch to plant foods. Nutritionally, bear milk is 4 times superior to cow milk. Often cubs from the past offspring take care of their younger brothers, look after them and try to protect them. About the brown bear we can unequivocally say: the father is none of him.
By the age of 3, young bears are capable of sexual activity and finally say goodbye to their mother. They will grow for another 7-8 years. Life expectancy in the forest is about 30 years, in captivity - up to 50.
Brown bear in the Red Book listed as "threatened species". On the planet, among impassable forests, about 200 thousand individuals live, of which 120 thousand live on the territory of the Russian Federation.
In his class brown bears- one of the most majestic and powerful animals, but like other representatives of the world fauna, they are completely defenseless against humans. Being the subject of hunting for the purpose of obtaining skins, meat and bile, they are mercilessly exterminated even today.
Terrible brown bears are the majestic guardians of the forests. This beautiful animal is considered a symbol of Russia, although its numerous habitats can be found in all corners of our planet. Since the brown bear is under the threat of complete extinction, it is listed in the Red Book. Basically, this animal lives in Russia, the USA and Canada. A small number of bears have survived in Europe and Asia.
The lifestyle of this important "master of the taiga" is very interesting. How long does a brown bear live? How much weight can it reach? Most Interesting Facts we will tell about the life of the brown clubfoot in this article.
Brown bear: appearance description
This animal is very strong. The powerful body is covered with thick hair, and the withers stand out clearly on the back. It has accumulated a large number of muscles that allow the bear to inflict crushing blows with its paws, cut down trees or dig the ground.
His head is very large, with small ears and small, deep-set eyes. The tail of bears is short - about 2 cm, barely noticeable under a layer of wool. The paws are very strong, with large curved claws reaching a length of 10 cm. When walking, the bear evenly transfers the weight of the body to the entire sole, like a person, and therefore it belongs to the species of plantigrade animals.
The coat of the famous "master of the taiga" is very beautiful - thick, evenly colored. Brown bears have a tendency to molt - in spring and autumn they renew their fur coat. The first change of coat occurs immediately after hibernation and is very intense. Its manifestations are especially noticeable during the rut. Autumn molt proceeds slowly and continues until hibernation.
How long does a brown bear live?
The life expectancy of a clubfoot depends on its habitat. In conditions wildlife a brown bear can reach an age of 20 to 35 years. If the animal is kept in a zoo, this figure almost doubles. In captivity, a bear can live up to 50 years. The onset of puberty occurs between the ages of 6 and 11 years.
The size and weight of the animal
The standard length of the torso of a clubfoot predator ranges from one to two meters. The largest bears live in Alaska, Kamchatka and the Far East. These are grizzlies, true giants, whose growth when standing on their hind legs reaches three meters.
The maximum weight of a bear (brown) can be 600 kg. These are real heavyweight giants. The average weight of an adult male is at the level of 140-400 kg, and the weight of a female is 90-210 kg. The largest male was found on Kodiak Island. His body weight was enormous - 1134 kg. However, animals living in middle lane Russia, weigh much less - about 100 kg.
By autumn, this animal accumulates a large fat reserve for the upcoming hibernation, and therefore the weight of the bear (brown) increases by 20%.
habitats
Mostly bears live in dense forests, in swampy areas. Often they can be seen in the tundra or alpine forests. In Russia, this animal occupies remote northern regions. Brown bears are very common in Siberia. The calm forests of the taiga allow clubfoot to feel spacious and free, and nothing prevents their existence here.
In the USA, bears live mainly in open areas - on the coasts, alpine meadows. In Europe, they mainly live in mountainous dense forests.
In Asia, brown bear populations can also be found. Their range covers small areas of Palestine, Iran, northern China and the Japanese island of Hokkaido.
What do bears eat?
Omnivorousness and endurance are the main qualities that help the beast survive in difficult conditions. In the diet of a brown bear, 75% is plant food. The clubfoot can eat tubers, nuts, berries, grass stalks, roots, and acorns. If this is not enough, the bear can go to the crops of oats or corn, feed in cedar forests.
Large individuals have remarkable strength and prey on small young animals. With just one blow of a huge paw, a bear can break the spine of an elk or deer. He hunts roe deer, wild boars, fallow deer, mountain goats. Without problems, brown bears can eat rodents, larvae, ants, frogs, worms and lizards.
Skillful fishermen and camouflage
Bears often feed on carrion. The clubfoot skillfully covers the found remains of animals with brushwood and tries to stay nearby until it completely eats its “find”. If the bear has eaten recently, it may wait a few days. After a while, the meat of the killed animal will become softer, and he will eat it with pleasure.
The most amazing occupation of bears is catching fish. They go to the Far Eastern spawning rivers, where salmon massively accumulate. Especially often she-bears with their offspring hunt here. The mother skillfully catches the salmon and takes it to her cubs.
At the same time, up to 30 bears can be seen on the river, which often fight for prey.
Behavior
The bear has a very developed sense of smell. He clearly feels the smell of decomposed meat, even being at a distance of 3 km from him. His hearing is also very well developed. Sometimes the bear stands up on its hind legs to listen for a sound or feel the direction of the smell of food.
How does a bear behave in nature? The brown "master of the taiga" begins to bypass his possessions at dusk or early in the morning. In bad weather or during rainy periods, he can wander through the forest all day long in search of food.
Speed and agility are the hallmarks of the beast
At first glance, this huge animal seems very clumsy and slow. But it's not. The big brown bear is very agile and easy to move around. In pursuit of the victim, he can reach speeds of up to 60 km / h. The bear is also an excellent swimmer. He can easily cover a distance of 6-10 km on water and swims with pleasure on hot summer days.
Young bears nimbly climb trees. With age, this ability becomes a little dull, but does not disappear. However deep snow is for them ordeal, since the bear moves along it with great difficulty.
breeding season
Having regained strength after a long sleep, brown bears are ready to mate. The rut begins in the spring, in May, and lasts about a month. Females announce their readiness for mating with a special secret that has a strong odor. According to these marks, males find their chosen ones and protect them from rivals.
Sometimes fierce battles arise between two bears for a female, in which the fate, and sometimes the life of one of them, is decided. In the event of the death of one of the males, the winner can even eat it.
During the mating season, bears are very dangerous. They make a wild roar and can attack a person.
Reproduction of offspring
Exactly 6-8 months later, cubs are born in the den. Usually the female brings 2-4 cubs, completely bald, with underdeveloped organs of hearing and vision. However, after a month, the cubs' eyes open, and the ability to pick up sounds appears. Immediately after birth, the cubs weigh about 500 g, and their length reaches 25 cm. By 3 months, all the milk teeth erupt in the cubs.
Babies feed on their mother's milk for the first 6 months of their lives. Then berries, insects, greens are added to their diet. Later, the mother brings them fish or her prey. For about 2 years, babies live with their mother, learn habits, the subtleties of hunting, and hibernate with her. The independent life of a young bear begins at the age of 3-4 years. The father bear never takes part in the upbringing of the offspring.
Lifestyle
The brown bear is a fickle animal. In one place he eats, in another he sleeps, and for mating he can move away from his usual habitat for several kilometers. The young bear roams the area until he starts a family.
The brown master marks his possessions. He alone can hunt here. He marks the borders in a special way, tearing the bark from the trees. In areas without plantings, a bear can peel off objects that are in its field of vision - stones, slopes.
In summer, he can rest carelessly in open glades, lying down directly on the ground. The main thing is that this place is secluded and safe for the bear.
Why a rod?
Before going into hibernation, the bear must gain required amount fat reserve. If it is not enough, the animal has to wander further in search of food. From this came the name - connecting rod.
Moving in the cold season, the bear is doomed to death from frost, hunger or a hunter's gun. However, in winter you can meet not only connecting rod. Often a bear's sleep can simply be disturbed by humans. Then this well-fed beast is forced to seek a new shelter in order to again plunge into hibernation.
Finding a lair
The bear chooses this winter haven with special care. For lairs, reliable calm places are chosen, located on the borders of swamps, in windbreaks, on the banks of rivers, in secluded caves. The shelter should be dry, warm, spacious and safe.
The bear equips its den with moss, laying out a soft bedding from it. The shelter is masked and insulated with tree branches. Very often a bear has been using a good den for several years.
The life of brown bears is to search for food, especially before hibernation. Before falling asleep, the beast diligently confuses its tracks: it walks through the swamps, winds and even steps backwards.
Quiet and relaxing holiday
Bears sleep in a cozy den throughout the long frosty winter. Old males leave their shelter before anyone else. The she-bear with her offspring stays in the den longer than the others. Hibernation of brown bears lasts 5-6 months. It usually starts in October and ends in April.
Bears do not go into deep sleep. They remain sensitive and vital, they are easily disturbed. The body temperature of a bear during sleep is in the range of 29-34 degrees. During hibernation, little energy is consumed, and the clubfoot has enough of its fat reserve, acquired in active time. During the period winter holiday the bear loses about 80 kg of its weight.
Wintering features
All winter the bear sleeps on its side, comfortably curled up. Less common are postures on the back or sitting, with the head down. Breathing and heart rate slow down during sleep.
Surprisingly, this animal does not defecate during winter sleep. All waste products in the body of a bear are re-processed and converted into valuable proteins necessary for its existence. The rectum is closed by a dense cork, consisting of needles, compressed grass and wool. It is removed after the animal leaves the den.
Does the bear suck its paw?
Many people naively believe that during hibernation, the clubfoot extracts valuable vitamins from their limbs. But it's not. The fact is that in January there is a renewal of the skin on the paw pads of a bear. Old dry skin bursts and gives him severe discomfort. To somehow moderate this itching, the bear licks its paw, moisturizing and softening it with its saliva.
Dangerous and strong animal
The bear is first of all a predator, powerful and terrible. A chance meeting with this angry beast will not bring anything good.
Spring rut, winter search for a new shelter - during these periods, the brown bear is most dangerous. Descriptions or photographs of animals that live in nurseries and are friendly to people should not deceive you - they grew up there in completely different conditions. In nature, a seemingly calm beast can be cruel and easily blow your head off. Especially if you wandered into his territory.
Females with offspring should also be avoided. The mother is driven by instincts and aggression, so it is better not to get in her way.
Of course, the behavior of a clubfoot depends on the situation and time of year. Often the bears themselves run away when they see a person in the distance. But do not think that since this beast can eat berries and honey, this is his favorite food. The best food for a bear is meat, and he will never miss an opportunity to get it.
Why clubfoot?
This nickname has firmly stuck to the bear. And all from the fact that when walking, he steps alternately on the right and left paws. Therefore, from the side it seems that the bear is clubfoot.
But this slowness and clumsiness is deceptive. In the event of a dangerous situation, this beast instantly gallops and easily overtakes a person. The peculiarity of the structure of the front and hind legs allows him to show unprecedented agility when climbing uphill. He conquers peaks much faster than he descends from them.
It took more than one millennium to form such a complex system of habitat and life of this amazing animal. As a result, brown bears have gained the ability to survive in areas where severe climatic conditions. Nature is amazing, and one can only admire her wisdom and immutable laws that put everything in its place.
The brown bear is traditionally considered a symbol of Russia. A powerful predatory animal belongs to the bear family. These animals are distinguished by a powerful physique and a massive head, in comparison with the size of which the eyes and ears seem very small. Depending on the species and habitat, information on how much a brown bear weighs can fluctuate.
The predator weighs from 350 to 600 kilograms. The length of the body is 1.2–2 meters. Generally, males are larger than females.. Heaviest weight animals reach late autumn, as they accumulate fat reserves before hibernation.
The brown bear has strong paws with five toes that end in sharp claws reaching 10 centimeters. The nails are not retractable, sickle-shaped. There is also short tail, which is almost invisible due to the wool. These animals have 40 teeth.
The color varies depending on the habitat. May vary from light brown to black. The coat is thick with pronounced withers. They molt in spring and autumn.
- in the Alps, Pyrenees,
- on the Scandinavian Peninsula,
- in Finland
- in forests in central Europe,
- in Asia
- in Canada and America.
We can safely say that these animals inhabit all parts of the world. In nature, they live in dense forests or in clearings, located close to fresh water reservoirs.
What lifestyle do they lead
Brown bears, as a rule, lead a wandering solitary life. However, if there is an abundance of food in the chosen territory, then this representative of the animal world does not go far from its usual habitat.
Although they seem clumsy, brown bears are very good at climbing trees and swimming in water. They can swim up to 6 kilometers.
When meeting with dangerous opponents, this representative of the bear stands on its hind legs and tries to knock down the enemy with its front paws.
These predators are most active at dusk or at night.. AT winter time fall into hibernation, during which animals can lose up to 80 kilograms of fat reserves.
A lair for the winter is chosen in quiet, secluded places. They are warm, dry and spacious shelters. Moss and dry grass are used as bedding, and camouflage is provided by branches. A bear can use one den for several years.
Before hibernation, animals confuse their tracks. At this time, they wind through the swamps and even walk backwards!
During sleep, the bear's breathing and heartbeat slow down, but the animal's sleep is very sensitive. He is easily disturbed and awakened. Hibernation lasts from October to April. During this time, brown predators do not defecate. All waste products in the body of a bear are recycled into proteins.
Stories about the bear sucking its paw in winter are associated with the change of skin on the pads of the paws. This happens in winter. The skin is very dry, flaky and bursting. To somehow facilitate this process, the animal licks its paws and moistens dry places with saliva.
It happens that in hungry years, the bear cannot gain enough weight to calmly hibernate. In this case, the bear wanders in search of food. Such individuals are called a connecting rod, and meeting with them is extremely dangerous, since the animal becomes very aggressive from hunger.
In spring, adult males are the first to leave their dens, and females with cubs are the last to leave their shelters.
What does a brown bear eat
Bears are practically omnivores. Their diet includes:
- berries,
- oats,
- insects and larvae
- mice,
- bird eggs,
- fish,
- small animals.
Most often they eat plant foods or fish, especially salmon. When salmon spawn on the river, you can watch ten to thirty bears at the same time. Sometimes there are skirmishes for fish.
Despite their strength and size, they prefer not to attack large game. During the pursuit of game, a bear can reach speeds of up to 50-60 kilometers per hour. As a rule, young males hunt big game.
These animals do not disdain carrion. May eat game killed by other animals. They mask their prey with brushwood. They do not move far from the game until they are completely eaten.
How does a brown bear reproduce and how long does it live
The mating season begins in late spring and lasts for a month. At this time, bears are most dangerous and it is better not to encounter them. During this period, females secrete a special odorous secret, according to which males find them. Several males can fight for one female. Often fights end fatal for one of the applicants.
Pregnancy lasts approximately 7 months. Most often, 2-3 cubs are born. Babies weigh 500 grams at birth. Little cubs are born bald with closed eyes, which open after a month.
They begin to leave the den in the spring, at first they almost do not leave the she-bear. Mother feeds them with milk and teaches them the basics of hunting., since the cubs' teeth erupt by 3 months.
Babies grow slowly. The cubs become independent at the age of 3 years, when they leave the bear. Sexual maturity occurs at about 4 years of age. Bears give birth about once every 2-4 years.
Life expectancy in nature reaches 20 years, in captivity they can live up to almost 40.
The brown bear, or common bear, is a predatory mammal of the bear family; one of the largest and most dangerous land predators. Spreading Once the brown bear was common throughout Europe, including England and Ireland, in the south its range reached northwest Africa (Atlas Mountains), and in the east through Siberia and China reached Japan. It probably came to North America about 40,000 years ago from Asia, through the Bering Isthmus, and widely settled in the western part of the continent from Alaska to northern Mexico. Now the brown bear has been exterminated in a large part of its former range; few in other areas. In Western Europe, its isolated populations have survived in the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian mountains, the Alps and the Apennines. Quite common in Scandinavia and Finland, sometimes found in the forests of Central Europe and in the Carpathians. It has been declared the national animal of Finland. In Asia, it is distributed from Western Asia, Palestine, northern Iraq and Iran to northern China and the Korean Peninsula. In Japan, it is found on the island of Hokkaido. AT North America known as the "grizzly" (earlier, the North American brown bear was isolated in separate view), it is abundant in Alaska, western Canada, and has limited populations in the northwestern United States. The range of the brown bear in Russia occupies almost the entire forest zone, with the exception of its southern regions. The northern border of the range coincides with the southern border of the tundra.
The brown bear is active throughout the day, but more often in the mornings and evenings. The seasonal cycle of life is pronounced. By winter, the bear builds up subcutaneous fat (up to 180 kg) and lies in the den in autumn. Lairs are located in a dry place, in most cases in pits under the protection of windbreak or under uprooted tree roots. Less commonly, bears dig a shelter in the ground or occupy caves and rock crevices. Bears have favorite wintering places, where they gather year after year from the whole district. In different areas, winter sleep lasts from 75 to 195 days. Depending on climatic and other conditions, bears are in dens from October - November to March - April, that is, 5-6 months. She-bears with cubs live the longest in dens, and old males live least of all. In the south of the range, where the winter is not snowy, the bears do not hibernate at all. During the wintering period, the bear loses up to 80 kg of fat. Contrary to popular belief, the brown bear's winter sleep is shallow; his body temperature during sleep fluctuates between 29 and 34 degrees. In case of danger, the animal wakes up and leaves the den, setting off in search of a new one. Sometimes the bear does not have time to properly fatten during the fall, so in the middle of winter it wakes up and begins to wander in search of food; such bears are called rods. Rods are very dangerous, hunger makes them merciless predators - they attack anyone who meets them on the way, even a person. Such bears have very little chance of surviving until spring. Despite the clumsy appearance, the brown bear runs exceptionally fast - at speeds up to 50 km / h, swims excellently and climbs trees well in youth (he does this more reluctantly in old age). With one blow of the paw, a seasoned bear is able to break the back of a bull, bison or bison.
A well-known beast is distributed almost everywhere northern hemisphere, a symbol of power, strength, the hero of many fairy tales and legends.
Systematics
Latin name– Ursus arctos
English name– brown bear
Squad - Predatory (Carnivora)
Family – Bear (Ursidae)
Genus - bears (Ursus)
The status of the species in nature
The brown bear is currently not threatened with extinction, with the exception of some subspecies that live in Western Europe and southern North America. In these places, animals are protected by law. Where the animal is numerous, limited hunting is allowed.
View and person
For a long time, the bear has occupied the imagination of people. Because of the way it often rises on its hind legs, the bear, more than any other animal, looks like a person. "The owner of the forest" - this is how he is usually called. The bear is a character in many fairy tales, many sayings and proverbs have been composed about him. In them, most often, this beast appears as a good-natured bumpkin, a slightly stupid strong man, ready to protect the weak. The respectful and condescending attitude towards this beast is evident from folk names: “Mikhailo Potapych”, “Toptygin”, “clubfoot” ... Comparison of a man himself with a bear can be both flattering for him (“strong like a bear”) and derogatory (“clumsy like a bear”).
The bear is very common as a coat of arms, it is a symbol of strength, cunning and ferocity in the defense of the fatherland. Therefore, it is depicted on the emblems of many cities: Perm, Berlin, Bern, Yekaterinburg, Novgorod, Norilsk, Syktyvkar, Khabarovsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Yaroslavl and others.
Distribution area and habitats
The distribution area of the brown bear is very extensive, covering the entire forest and forest-tundra zones of Eurasia and North America, in the north it extends to the border of forests, in the south along the mountainous regions it reaches Asia Minor and Western Asia, Tibet, and Korea. At present, the range of the species, once continuous, has been significantly reduced to more or less large fragments. The beast disappeared on the Japanese Islands, in the Atlas Mountains in northwestern Africa, in most of the Iranian Plateau, in the vast Central Plain in North America. In Western and Central Europe, this species has remained only in small mountainous areas. On the territory of Russia, the distribution area has changed to a lesser extent, the animal is still quite common in the forests of Siberia and Far East, in the Russian North.
The brown bear is a typical forest dweller. Most often, it is found in vast taiga massifs, abounding in windbreak, moss swamps and dissected by rivers, and in the mountains - by gorges. The animal gives preference to forests with dark coniferous species - spruce, fir, cedar. In the mountains he lives among deciduous forests, or in junipers.
Appearance and morphology
The brown bear is a very large massive animal, one of the largest land predators. Within the family, the brown bear is second in size only to the white. The largest of the brown bears live in Alaska, they are called Kodiaks, the body length of Kodiaks reaches 250 cm, the height at the withers is 130 cm, and the weight is up to 750 kg. The bears that live in Kamchatka are only slightly inferior to them in size. In central Russia, the weight of "typical" bears is 250-300 kg.
The brown bear is complex as a whole in proportion, a massive appearance is given to it by thick fur and slowness of movements. The head of this beast is heavy, lobed, not as elongated as that of the white one. The lips, like the nose, are black, the eyes are small, deep-set. The tail is very short, completely hidden in the fur. The claws are long, up to 10 cm, especially on the front paws, but slightly curved. The fur is very thick and long, especially in animals living in the northern part of the range. The coloration is usually brown, but in different animals it can vary from almost black to straw yellow.
Of the sense organs of a brown bear, the sense of smell is best developed, hearing is weaker, and vision is poor, so that the beast is almost not guided by it.
Lifestyle and social organization
Brown bears, unlike whites, are mostly sedentary. EachAn individual site occupied by one animal can be very extensive, and cover an area of up to several hundred square meters. km. The boundaries of the plots are poorly marked, and in very rugged terrain they are practically absent. The areas of males and females overlap. Within the site there are places where the animal usually feeds, where it finds temporary shelters or lies in a den.
In places where bears live permanently, their regular movements around the site are marked by well-marked trails. They look like human paths, only in contrast to them, along the bear paths, shreds of bear hair often hang on the branches, and bear marks remain on the trunks of especially conspicuous trees - bites with teeth and bark, peeled off by claws at the height that the beast can reach. Such marks show other bears that the area is occupied. Paths connect the places where the bear is guaranteed to find food. Bears lay them in the most convenient places, choosing the shortest distance between objects that are significant to them.
The sedentary lifestyle does not prevent the bear from making seasonal migrations to places where this moment food is more accessible. In lean years, a bear is able to travel 200-300 km in search of forage. In the flat taiga, for example, the animals spend the summer in glades overgrown with tall grass, in early autumn they are drawn to the swamps, where they are attracted by ripe cranberries. In the mountainous regions of Siberia, at the same time, they move to the zone of loaches, where they find an abundance of pine nuts and lingonberries. On the Pacific coast, during the mass movement of red fish, animals from afar come to the mouths of the rivers.
A characteristic feature of the brown bear, which is characteristic of both males and females, is winter sleep in a den. Lairs are located in the most secluded places: on small islands among moss swamps, among windbreaks or dense undergrowth. Bears arrange them most often under eversion and decks, under the roots of large cedars and firs. In mountainous areas, earthen lairs prevail, which are located in rock crevices, shallow caves, and depressions under stones. From the inside, the lair is arranged very carefully - the animal lines the bottom with moss, branches with needles, bunches of dry grass. Where there are few suitable places for wintering, dens used for many years in a row form real “bear towns”: for example, in Altai, 26 dens were found on a 10 km long stretch.
In different places, bears sleep in winter from 2.5 to 6 months. In warm regions, with a plentiful harvest of nuts, bears do not lie in a den for the whole winter, but only from time to time, under adverse conditions, fall asleep for several days. Bears sleep alone, only females who have cubs of the year go to bed with their cubs. During sleep, if the beast is disturbed, it easily wakes up. Often the bear itself leaves the den during long thaws, returning to it at the slightest cold snap.
Feeding and feeding behavior
The brown bear is a real omnivore, eating more vegetable than animal feed. It is most difficult for a bear to feed himself in early spring, when plant food is completely scarce. At this time of the year, he hunts large ungulates, eats carrion. Then he digs up anthills, extracting larvae and the ants themselves. From the beginning of the appearance of greenery and until the mass ripening of various berries, the bear spends most of its time on “bear pastures” - forest clearings and meadows, eating umbrella plants (hogweed, angelica), sow thistle, wild garlic. From the second half of summer, when berries begin to ripen, throughout the forest zone, bears switch to eating them: first blueberries, raspberries, blueberries, honeysuckle, later lingonberries, cranberries. autumn period, the most important for preparing for winter, is the time of eating the fruits of trees. In the middle lane, these are acorns, hazelnuts, in the taiga - pine nuts, in the mountainous southern forests - wild apples, pears, cherries, mulberries. The bear's favorite food in early autumn is ripening oats.
Eating grass in the meadow, the bear peacefully "grazes" for hours, like a cow or a horse, or collects the stems he likes with his front paws and puts them in his mouth. Climbing fruit-bearing trees, this sweet tooth breaks off branches, eating fruits on the spot, or throws them down, sometimes just shakes the crown. Less dexterous animals graze under the trees, picking up fallen fruits.
The brown bear willingly digs in the ground, extracting succulent rhizomes and soil invertebrates, turns over stones, extracting and eating worms, beetles and other living creatures from under them.
Bears living along the rivers off the Pacific coast are avid anglers. During the course of the red fish, they gather in dozens at the riffles. Pursuing fishing the bear goes belly-deep into the water and with a strong quick blow of the front paw throws a fish that swam close to the shore.
Large ungulates - deer, elk - the bear hides, completely silently approaching the victim from the leeward side. Roe deer sometimes lie in wait in ambush along trails or at a watering place. His attack is swift and almost irresistible.
Reproduction and rearing of offspring
The mating season for bears begins in May-June. At this time, males chase females, roar, fight fiercely, sometimes with a fatal outcome. At this time they are aggressive and dangerous. The formed pair walks together for about a month, and if a new applicant appears, he is driven away not only by the male, but also by the female.
The cubs (usually 2) are born in the den in January, weighing only about 500 g, covered with sparse fur, with their eyes and ears closed. Ear openings in cubs are outlined by the end of the second week, after another 2 weeks their eyes open. All their first 2 months of life, they lie at their mother's side, moving very little. The bear's sleep is not deep, because she needs to take care of the cubs. By the time they leave the den, the cubs reach the size of a small dog, weighing from 3 to 7 kg. Milk feeding lasts up to six months, but already at the age of 3 months, young animals begin to gradually master plant foods, imitating their mother.
The entire first year of life, the cubs stay with their mother, spending another winter with her in the den. At the age of 3-4 years, young bears become sexually mature, but they reach full bloom only at the age of 8-10 years.
Lifespan
In nature, for about 30 years, in captivity they live up to 45-50 years.
Keeping animals in the Moscow Zoo
Brown bears have been kept in the zoo since the year of its foundation - 1864. Until recently, they lived on the "Island of Animals" (New Territory) and in the Children's Zoo. In the early 90s, a bear from a children's zoo was brought as a gift to the first president of Russia, B.N. Yeltsin, by the governor of Primorsky Krai. The President prudently did not keep "this little animal" at home, but handed it over to the zoo. When the first reconstruction was going on, the bear temporarily left Moscow, visited another zoo, and then returned. Now the second reconstruction is underway, and the bear again left Moscow, this time to the Veliky Ustyug Zoo, where he will live permanently.
Currently, there is one brown bear in the zoo, which lives on the "Island of animals". This is an elderly female of the Kamchatka subspecies, a classic brown color, very large. All winter she sleeps soundly in her lair, despite the noisy life of the metropolis. People help to equip the winter "apartment": the bottom of the "lair" is lined with coniferous branches, on top - a hay feather bed. Before falling asleep, both in nature and in the zoo, bears eat needles - a bactericidal plug is formed in the intestines. It is not the noise that can wake up the animals, but the prolonged warming, as happened in the winter of 2006-2007.
Brown bears endure captivity conditions well, but, of course, they get bored, because in nature they spend most of their time looking for and getting food, which they don’t have to do in a zoo. Mandatory attributes in a bear enclosure are tree trunks. The bears tear them with their claws, leaving their marks, they try to look for food under the bark and in the wood, and finally, they play with small logs. And out of boredom, bears begin to interact with visitors. For example, our she-bear sits on her hind legs, and starts waving her front legs to people. Everyone around rejoices and throws a wide variety of objects into her aviary, most often food. Something thrown is eaten, something is simply sniffed - the animal is full. Scientists believe that in this way the bear not only begs for food or makes its environment more diverse, it begins to control the behavior of visitors: waved - they gave a tasty treat. This relieves the stress of keeping in a small enclosure and living according to a certain routine. But still there is no need to feed the animals in the zoo - their diets are balanced, and much of what we eat is harmful to them.
Very often in spring and in the first half of summer in the zoo are distributed phone calls, - people want to attach cubs found in the forest. We urge everyone who saw a bear cub in the forest - do not take it! The mother is most likely somewhere nearby, she can stand up for her cub, and this is very dangerous for you! The baby could be driven away by an adult male caring for the bear, but you never know what reasons, except for the death of the bear, could lead the bear cub to people. A bear that has fallen to a person is doomed to be killed, or to spend life in captivity. A bear cub left alone in the forest at the age of 5-6 months (July-August) has a very good chance to survive and live free. Don't deprive him of this chance!
