Alone and vulnerable sibling grizzly bears of the Knight Inlet area often stay together until they are three or four years old often fishing, eating and sleeping side-by-side, and even denning together. The average breeding age for female grizzlies is 4.5 years. Males reach sexual maturity at roughly the same age as the females. Sub-adult females tend to establish home ranges within or overlapping their mother’s home range. Sub-adult males are usually discouraged from staying in the same area by the larger males and must travel large distances to establish a home range. And even though these sub-adult males are capable of breeding at three or four years of age, they rarely have the opportunity to do so because of these older, bigger males.
Grizzly Bears are “Fussy Eaters”
The coastal grizzly bears rely on salmon to put on the pounds required for hibernation. In the height on salmon season a adult Grizzly Bear can consume over 20,000 calories per day. Early in the season the bears are not particular and will eat whatever they can catch or steal. As the season progresses, however some of the better fed bears will become particular and selectively eat the best bits. The roe (salmon eggs) are the most nutrient rich portion of the fish. This bear is extracting the eggs and leaving the rest of the fish for hungrier bears or birds to finish up at a later time.
Visit our Blog