Bears as Predators ~

[brotherbear]

Yellowstone Bears in the Wild by James C. Halfpenny.


While some female grizzlies are very adapt at predation, most predation probably is done by males. The reasons may be two-fold. A risk of injury is always associated with predation, especially on large animals such as moose and bison. For a female bear, an injury might signal the end of her ability to care for her young.
Another reason, according to Dave Mattson, is that different life strategies for males and females may influence the need for active predation. Reproductive success of a female is dependent on sufficient reserves of adipose fat, whereas males need muscle to gain competitive advantage in a breeding system often characterized by violent confrontations with other males and even with females. Since a high-protein diet promotes muscle growth, greater consumption of protein by males would be expected. Reply