by Sunnie Lindell
"Did you know that there are only eight
species of bears left on this planet, and did you also know that
each species of bear is a threatened species?
The Grizzly Bear, for instance,
symbol of strength and power, is seriously threatened as its
once wild and vast territories are now diminishing. The forests,
meadows and mountainous slopes where the grizzly bear has lived,
are quickly disappearing, along with crucial food sources, especially
salmon. Which means that the grizzly may soon disappear.
The Grizzly is a creature that
the forest and the other beings that survive within it, need.
Forest plants and trees, that so desperately need nitrogen to
survive and grow in a healthy way, benefit highly from nutrients
contained within the digested food the Grizzly releases from
its body. Some plants need the Grizzly to disturb and oxygenate
the soil , and to mix the nutrients within it. But this beautiful
gardening bear, so needed, yet so feared, is quickly declining.
Can we let go of our fears of this giant bear, and our need to
make more and more money on timber, land, and salmon, in order
to keep this very important and awesome being in existence?...
"
Scientific
Name: Ursus Arctos Horribilis
Weight: 330
to 825 pounds
Length: 6.5
to 7 feet
Lifespan: 20
to 30 years
Habitat: Forest,
meadows, rivers and valleys.
Diet: Anything from elk, to hornet larvae,
roots and bulbs of plants, to honey and clams....etc. (Omnivore)
Gestation: 220
days
Predators: Humans,destruction
and degradation of habitat from activities related to timber
and fish harvesting and oil and mineral exploration and extraction.
Illegal killing is also a threat to the continued survival of
grizzlies
Population
Status Report: Today
125,000-150,000 grizzly bears still roam the world in isolated,
undeveloped areas.There are about 1,000 grizzlies in the lower
48 states, roughly 31,7000 in Alaska, and approximately 25,000
in Canada (IUCN 1999).
Did
You Know?
*Grizzlies are not social animals.
Males roam areas of 600-1000 square miles. Females roam areas
up to 100 square miles. These bears may travel 20-40 miles a
day.
*Grizzlies can climb trees, run 44 feet per second, and swim
across lakes and rivers.
*Grizzlies stand on their hind feet to get a better view...this
is not necessarily an aggressive stance.
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Alliance
for Wild Rockies
awr@wildrockiesalliance.org
-Alliance for the Wild Rockies
(AWR) formed to meet the challenge of saving the Northern Rockies
Bioregion from habitat destruction. We are thousands of individuals,
business owners, and organizations taking a bio-regional approach
to protect and restore this great region.
(Non-Profit)
Craighead Environmental Research
lance@grizzlybear.org
-The mission of the Institute
is to increase humankind's understanding, appreciation, and protection
of our natural environment; particularly wildlife populations
and wild landscapes. Our goal is to enable human beings
to live in harmony with other species.
(Non-Profit)
Defenders
of Wildlife
Grizzly Discovery Center
info@grizzlydiscoveryctr.org
The Grizzly Discovery Center
(GDC) is a non-profit bear and wolf preserve in West Yellowstone,
Montana, adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. Its mission is
to give visitors the opportunity to learn about, view and ultimately
appreciate grizzlies and wolves.
(Non-Profit)
The
International Association for Bear Research and Management
webmaster@bearbiology.com
We are a non-profit tax-exempt
volunteer organization open to professional biologists, wildlife
managers and others dedicated to the conservation of all species
of be ars. The organization consists of several hundred members
from over 20 countries. It supports the scientific management
of bears through research and distribution of information.
(Non-Profit)
International
Fund for Animal Welfare
info@ifaw.org
IFAW's mission is to improve
the welfare of wild and domestic animals throughout the world
by reducing commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife
habitats, and assisting animals in distress. We seeks to motivate
the public to prevent cruelty to animals and to promote animal
welfare and conservation policies that advance the wellbeing
of both animals and people.
(Non-Profit)
National
Wildlife Federation
Grizzly Bear Page
Offers a glance into life and activities of the grizzly bear,
as well as current efforts to return this species to its wilderness
home.
(Non-Profit)
Selkirk
Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Recovery Project
Illegal shootings: The leading cause of grizzly deaths.
Project Objectives:
1. To determine the grizzly bear population density, dynamics,
and distribution in the Selkirk ecosystem;
2. To measure the influence that roads into remote areas, especially
national forests, have on grizzly bear mortality;
3. To monitor the principle causes of grizzly bear mortality,
and diminish that induced by man;
4. To reduce human/bear conflicts by educating the general public
as to appropriate behavior in case of grizzly bear encounters
and to the need for bears as part of the Selkirk ecosystem. Additional
education is needed to allow hunters to differentiate between
grizzly bears and black bears in the wild.
Idaho Fish & Game operations
are funded almost exclusively with revenues from the sale of
hunting and fishing licenses, and these are insufficient. The
three officers running the Selkirk Grizzly Bear Project are thus
critically short of funds and spread far too thin on the ground.
Sierra Club
Grizzly Bear Ecosystems Project
wildgriz@aol.com
This is a coalition project
of conservation organizations working to restore and recover
the grizzly bear in the lower forty-eight states.
(Non-Profit)
World
Wildlife Fund
panda@wwfcanada.org.
Foothill Model Forest Grizzly
Bear Research Project
Species: Grizzly bear
This five-year research project,
initiated in 1999, focuses on grizzly bears in west-central Alberta.
The aim of the project is to link scientific results to successful
land-management strategies to ensure the long-term survival of
this species. The researchers are examining the movement patterns
of grizzlies and relating them to human uses of the landscape.
The project will also aim to provide management tools that will
be used to monitor the success of management actions and hence
ensure that grizzly bear conservation is being achieved .
(Non-Profit)
Vital
Ground
Boundary Creek North Parcel
Project
Meet
the Bears of Vital Ground
info@vitalground.org
The Vital Ground Foundation is pleased to announce our current
fund raising campaign for the Boundary Creek North Parcel Project.
Boundary Creek is an area just south of the Canadian Border in
the Selkirk Mountains. Our intent is to purchase outright a 20
acre parcel called the North Parcel, the last jigsaw piece of
a 1400 acre area that has already been secured by another conservation
group. These 1400 acres are surrounded by state forests and corporate
timberlands. A leading grizzly bear biologist currently working
with the Selkirk grizzlies describes our target parcel as "20
acres in the middle of good spring bear range, with grizzly activity
7 months out of the year. Elk and mule deer use the property
in the winter, and it is currently home to an active bald eagle
nest. The best thing that could happen to that land is that it
stays in its current status-undeveloped".
(Non-Profit)
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Animal Speak: The Spiritual
and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small.
By: Ted Andrews
*Animal Speak helps you to meet and work with your own personal
animal totems, and gives you the medicine/power and significance
of more than 100 different animals, birds, insects and reptiles.
Purchase
this book
Grizzly Bears (Untamed World)
By: Janice Parker
*Using full-color photographs and drawings, these four eye-catching
volumes present information on their subjects' features, social
structure, child rearing practices, habitats, and food, as well
as on conservation efforts.
Purchase
this book
Grizzly Cub: Five Years in
the Life of a Bear
By: Rick McIntyre
*The true story of a young bear's first five summers of life,
as recorded in words and color photographs by Denali National
Park ranger Rick McIntyre.
Purchase
this book
The Grizzly in the Southwest
By: David E. Brown and Charles Jonkel
* A lively and historically accurate account, on the demise of
the Grizzly Bear in the American Southwest.
Purchase
this book
Grizzlies in the Wild
By: Kennan Ward
*True wilderness shots that capture grizzlies at their most fearsome,
as well as their most gentle moments, are the hallmark of Kennan
Ward's award-winning photography, and "Grizzlies in the
Wild" is a showcase for this incredible work.
Purchase
this book
Mark of the Grizzly:
*True stories of recent bear attacks and the hard Lessons Learned.
By: Scott McMillon
A collection of 18 true stories of grizzly bear attacks between
1977 and 1997. This book is a great source of information on
how to act when you encounter a grizzly bear and how to avoid
dangerous encounters in the first place.
Purchase
this book
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Lady
In Black's Animal Spirits
"The bear is a creature
of dreams, astral travel, visionaries, mystics and shamans and
can lead to a great interest and passion for these subjects.
She helps us to open to balance and harmony, strength and stamina,
patience, wisdom and healing. It is a powerful totem for awakening
the power of the unconscious mind." from
Life
Paths, Animal Totem and Earth Medicine
A wonderful, spiritual source of information about this fantastic
creature!
The
Bear Den - Grizzly Page
This is a wonderful piece of writing by Andrew Adamson about
the Grizzly Bear and its rapid decline, and how the Grizzly defines
the wilderness.
Bluewater
Adventures
Our exciting "Orcas & Grizzly Bear" trip combines
majestic killer whales with the rare opportunity to see the powerful
grizzly bear. We voyage up scenic Knight Inlet two watch
grizzly bears feed on spawning salmon in a mountain river.
From the safety of raised viewing platforms, local bear guides
inform and educate us.
Businesses
For Bears
The mission of businesses for bears is to promote a healthy economy
and a healthy environment by supporting and promoting local businesses
interested in the conserving wild creatures like the grizzly
bear and wild places in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Eastern Slopes
Grizzly Bear Project
david_poll@pch.gc.ca
Our mission is to make sure
the information we collect about these bears -- their status,
the challenges they face, and what can be done to help them --
is widely available. There is a range of information on this
site -- a grade school teacher will find fundamental information
about grizzly bears to give his/her class, and a grizzly bear
researcher will find copies of most of the research papers we
have published.
The
Wild Habitat Grizzly Bear Page
Almost everything that you need to know about the grizzly bear.
Including: physical Characteristics, weight, speed, life span,
habitat, and daily life.
Yellowstone
Park Bears
trailside@gomontana.com
A great source of crucial information,
including bear facts, what to do when you meet a bear in the
wild, how to avoid meeting a bear in the wild, and how to camp
safely in bear country etc.
GRIZZLY
Site research by Sunnie
Lindell
Site construction by Dwayne
Edward Rourke
Photos provided
with permission from Artoday.
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As a convenience, our site links to other sites
that may be of interest to you but are not under our control.
These links do not imply an endorsement by Ann Mortifee and we
are not responsible for the availability of or the content contained
in any linked site.