Grizzly Bear Mother and Cub

Grizzly Bears are the largest land predator on Earth...although some biologists give that distinction to Polar Bears.  In Alaska a type of Grizzly called a Kodiak Bear is absolutely huge.  The largest Kodiak Bear ever found was 2,500lbs (1090 kg).  . . and they can stand 14 feet 94.3 meters) tall.  Generally though, the majority of Kodiak bears weigh between 800-1500 lbs (363-680 kg).

Grizzly bears are omnivores.  They can eat both plants and other animals.  They eat berries, salmon, even larger prey like deer, moose, and elk.  I was told a story from a military officer who told of two soldiers seeing a Kodiak bear take down a moose or elk.   Mother Grizzlies have one or two cubs that they care for.  The cubs stay with their mother for up to 2 years.

A funny story I experienced when I lived in Juneau Alaska.  .   .   I just moved into a basement apartment at a large house in the woods near the Mendenhall Glacier.  The landlord called me out to see what had happened to his large plastic garbage dumpster.  About 100 yards (91 m) into the woods was a torn up dumpster...in little pieces.  There was bits of cut grass scattered all over the snow.  It was late spring but some areas in the forest still had snow.  It seems that Kodiak Bears LOVE grass!  But they can't graze on it easily because they have sharp teeth up front with canine teeth.  So to eat grass the bears have to bite it from the side of their mouth.  My landlord has just mowed his grass for the first time in the spring so when the bears smelled the cut grass in the dumpster they hauled it into the forest and had a grass eating party!