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.
Great Bear Almanac by Gary Brown.
Running.
Bears, with the exception of the giant panda, run quite well. They are fast and agile, though their speed is maintained only for short distances. Many run with power, and are fifty percent faster than humans. "The grizzly can barrel, tank-like, through thick brush that would bring a man to a complete halt," relates Laycock. The stride of one galloping bear was recorded at seventeen feet between tracks.
Bears run to catch prey, inspect an unknown situation or movement, escape from a threat, to play, and for no apparent purpose.
They run uphill and downhill with speed and agility. "The rumor ( bears cannot run downhill without stumbling ) is untrue," relates Stephen Herrero in 'Bear Attacks'. "I have watched grizzly bears chase one another, and... elk and bighorn sheep - downhill, uphill, sidehill - wherever the pursuit leads. I have never seen a bear stumble."
"He was going so fast," relates W.P.Hubbard, describing an American black bear in 'Notorious Grizzly Bears', "his hind feet were up by his ears when his front feet were under and behind him. He was all action, a big black bottom, with four stems churning for all they were worth."
Bears' endurance is exceptional. They have been known to run without a break for ten miles. A sow with two cubs is reported to have traveled more than twenty miles through mountainous terrain in one hour.
Survival Skills of Bears
