There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
Ursus arctos : Section 1 - Body/Skull Size - The brown bears have the greatest size range of all the bears. Perhaps this too is a great survival trait. The Kodiak bear is roughly triple the size of a barren ground grizzly. The Boone and Crockett record bear skulls are all brown bears. But when considering the fossil record, Arctodus simus is probably the champ. A brown bear of any 'subspecies' has the potential of being a huge bear given a healthy environment and a rich food supply. Several years ago, I visited 'Tiger World' in North Carolina. They have a pair of Syrian brown bears. The boar, named Brutus, is huge - appearing to dwarf the resident lions and tigers. In the wild, Syrian brown bears are among the smallest of brown bears. Section 2 - Prey Habbits - Brown bears are capable of taking down large prey. This has been proven in the various bear vs bull fight records of Mexico, Old California, the Roman arena, and a few other places in the past. There have been a few cases in modern times of grizzlies killing moose and bison. However, although capable, brown bears usually live up to Baloo's song "Bare Necessities" and rarely take chances. Their usual prey consists of elk calves and other small prey. Also, they are not such capable hunters as to seek out swift running deer or antelope. Section 3 - Competition with Other Predators - Top notch. A carcass is usually dominated by a grizzly. I have watched a big boar successfully defend a carcass from a pack of 20 wolves with no trouble. From every video I have witnessed and every article I have read, in the far North, the highly aggressive barren ground grizzly shows no fear of his much bigger cousin, the polar bear. In the R.F.E., it is truthfully unclear what takes place when a grizzly and a tiger are both interested in a carcass. More data is needed. Without any doubts, life for a female brown bear with cubs living among other large predators is a life of great difficulty.