Hibernation: They gain massive fat in fall and enter a deep dormant sleep in winter. Fur is thickest in late fall.

Grizzly: Distinctive hump, concave face. Black Bear: Smaller, no hump, straighter face profile.

Forests, mountains, tundras, and swamps. They need large, contiguous wild spaces with diverse food sources.

Caves, hollow logs, or dug-out pits for winter dens. They need "denning sites" that provide safety and thermal insulation.

Primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. They were common in the hill country of Israel in biblical times (Syrian Brown Bear).

Dependent on wilderness proximity. Signs include "bear trees" (scratched bark) and large scat.

Omnivores. Berries, nuts, roots, insects, honey, fish, and mammals. They spend most of their time looking for high-calorie food.

Often crepuscular (dawn/dusk) but can be diurnal or nocturnal depending on human activity. They follow the "fruiting" calendar.

Solitary. Except for mothers with cubs and breeding pairs. They are not pack animals but will tolerate each other at salmon runs or food sources.

Large home ranges. They avoid each other through scent marking. Fights occur over food or mates.

Solitary. No consistent mutualistic partners beyond family.

Biological integrity. A landscape that supports bears is large and complex enough to support thousands of other species.

Cubs are born in Jan/Feb while the mother is hibernating. They are tiny (1 lb) and rely on rich milk.

20-25 years in the wild; up to 35 in captivity.

Spring: Emerging hungry. Summer: Breeding & foraging. Fall: Fattening. Winter: Denning.

Cubs stay with mother for 1.5 to 2.5 years, learning all the foraging and survival skills needed for solitary life.

Delayed implantation (embryo only grows if mother is fat enough). Sense of smell 7x better than a bloodhound.

Dense fat stores in fall. Healthy cubs. Active foraging. Intact fur.