The reason Grizzly Bear Lodge is successful viewing bears on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River is the presence of salmon in the man-made spawning channel. The salmon arrive in the area mid-August and we are permitted to travel to the viewing stands from August 25 to mid-October. Most salmon caught by the grizzly bears are eaten on site moving off the river to eat would mean loss of a prime fishing position. There is a change in the bears as we watch from the viewing stands as it is possible to eat only so many salmon at one time and we are in the stands for two hours. The time limit is determined by government regulations.
Grizzly Bear breeding season
Bears generally live solitary lives, but can be found together in the Glendale River estuary during mating season. The average breeding age for female grizzlies is 4.5 years. Males reach sexual maturity at roughly the same age as their female counterparts. Even though males are capable of breeding at three or four years of age, they rarely have the opportunity to do so because of intense competition from older, bigger males. This photo shows the size and thus the age difference between the two bears. The biggest bears in the population tend to be the most prolific breeders. Not only are male bears promiscuous, but females often have more than one sexual partner thus there can be quite a difference in the colouring of sibling cubs.
The implantation of the fertilized eggs – called blastocysts – is delayed until the start of denning season. If the female does not attain sufficient body fat or weight during the summer and fall, the embryos will not attach to the uterine wall and subsequently develop into little bears.
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