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Brown Bears (Info, Pics and Videos)
Brown Bears (Info, Pics and Videos)
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Brown Bears (Info, Pics and Videos)
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Grizzly bear at full speed... I have never seen a photo like this one, a photo which makes me aware that, clearly, the bears are able to run very fastly.
 (12-06-2019, 04:35 PM)Spalea Wrote: Grizzly bear at full speed... I have never seen a photo like this one, a photo which makes me aware that, clearly, the bears are able to run very fastly. It really seems to be surprising for many, that when tigers are usually said to be able to run approximately 65 km/h, a brown bear can run up to 60 km/h, major difference is, that a bear can run that speed surprisingly long distances when needed. While a big cat is faster in very short distance, it changes quickly and even in short distances bear is only slightly slower. There are cases where riders with horses have had to flee full gallop in order to be able to make escape. Watch this video in which a bear chases adult moose and look how it runs in that rough terrain, that moose has no chance to outrun the bear. This is one thing what many have trouble to believe, moose is actually slower than a bear in his/hers prime. These inland brown bears or grizzlies are no jokes, when they need to hunt.
@Shadow :
About #782: About bears I believed that with the strength they have they didn't run as fast as the big cats and by far. I also read 65 km/h for a lion or a tiger and 60 km/h for a bear and I thought that it was overrated as concerns the bear. But with this photo, I clearly see that a bear at full speed can adopt the same body position and truly I'm very amazed ! It makes me think that bears would be able to hunt some elks, mooses and other cervids much more often and thus become really an apex predator if their diet was purely carnivorous. They have already the means to. (12-07-2019, 01:01 AM)Spalea Wrote: @Shadow : Yes, you aren´t only one who has thought, that bear speed would be overrated. Many people have no idea about it, that what bear is capable to do. Even in countries with bears many people living in cities have no idea. They think, that a bear is just some big and clumsy creature eating honey and salmon :) They kill actually quite a lot of moose in spring time, I don´t now remember figures, but I can check some a little bit later. Those figures can be surprising for many. They kill in different way than big cats of course, it´s brutal when bear makes a kill comparing to many big cat kills, imo. I have shared here before some articles, one was a case in which a bear almost caught a horse with a rider while horse was in full gallop. It was only after that horse found some "extra gear" up in panic, when that bear couldn´t follow anymore. That feels astonishing, but that´s reality.
Another moose-bear encounter, this moose mother deserves respect, I would take my hat off if having one :) It seems to notice hesitation of the bear and puts all in and clearly gains mentally upper hand.
Just turn off sound, music is hideous. (12-07-2019, 01:01 AM)Spalea Wrote: @Shadow : One study from Alaska. Quote: "Predation rates on adult moose (Alces alces) were highest in spring, lowest in summer, and intermediate in fall. The highest kill rates were by male grizzlies killing cow moose during the calving period. We estimated that each adult male grizzly killed 3.3–3.9 adult moose annually, each female without cub(s) killed 0.6–0.8 adult moose and 0.9–1.0 adult caribou (Rangifer tarandus) annually, and each adult bear killed at least 5.4 moose calves annually. Grizzly predation rates on calves and grizzly density were independent of moose density and are probably more related to area-specific factors, e.g., availability of alternative foods." https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238015031_Predation_on_moose_and_caribou_by_radio-collared_grizzly_bears_in_east_central_Alaska 
NorthernRange Photography images by Eugene Kiedrowski
Standing Bear Hoping to see my first Springtime Grizzly soon. This is from last year's first encounter with a bear out in Lamar Valley. He nearly walked up to us at the parking area and we were all ready to scramble for the cars when he stood up and saw us and then diverted away. We have been enjoying warmer temps but cold and snow came back for a little kick in the butt to remind us that winter is stubborn and doesn't go to sleep easily.  *This image is copyright of its original author
Kodiak Brown Bears fighting
Credit to Kodiak Brown Bear Center  *This image is copyright of its original author
This posting is kind of tribute for the living legend of Alaskan peninsula. Old King and warrior... Van, name is based on his size as far as I know (as big as a van). He is still there, old but still standing tall! What a magnificent bear he is!!
Following photos and quotes from here: https://www.alaskabearsandwolves.com/van-is-back-first-day-of-bear-season-katmai-2019/ Quote: "I was super excited to see that a giant male, who was pursuing a female, was actually the legendary Van!!! have known this bear for over ten years and have watched him grow into the biggest bear I have ever seen in my life. He is getting old, and I estimate him to be around 20 years old. He became famous as he starred in the BBC film the Great Bear Stakeout."  *This image is copyright of its original author One of the most intimidating things a person can ever see in their entire life is a giant male brown bear approaching you. Out there the bears totally ignore people, and I have spent lots of time with this bear, so there was no danger. But still, what an awesome sight.  *This image is copyright of its original author Van still drives females crazy, and drives all other males into the distance, though he isn’t nearly as big as he used to be. Lots of scars show that he has been challenged in the last few years by up and coming competitors. He faced no challengers for many years.  *This image is copyright of its original author Mating with amazing glacier backdrop. Van has passed his genes onto many bears through his years of supremacy.  *This image is copyright of its original author Here is a pic of Van from 3 years ago  *This image is copyright of its original author Van a few years ago…. Just massive Those photos and texts are from this person: BRAD JOSEPHS Brad has been a Natural Habitat Expedition Leader since 2005, guiding Alaska grizzly bear tours, Churchill polar bear tours, northern lights expeditions and China panda tours. His specialty is bear biology and ecology of the north country Here a video showing Van, also from Brad Josephs. Description from youtube by Brad Josephs: This bear is past his prime, but 6 years ago he was by the biggest bear I have ever seen in my life. In his prime he exceeded 1500 lbs. Filmed on the Katmai Coast. Please oppose the pebble mine, which would destroy important salmon and bear habitat in this region. click here to help support legislation that would prevent what would be one of the world's greatest environmental disasters in one of the last great wilderness areas on earth. filmed with Sony A9, 100-400 mm, handheld
Perhaps, is he staring a fish ? We feel it is very focused... Beautiful photo.
In this Van can be seen in much better condition. If you watch or have seen whole documentary, soon after this incident another female bear approached Van and Alice. Alice charged her and then Van followed. When Alice was attacking that other female, Van came there, pushed Alice aside and killed that other female bear swiftly and mercilessly. I don´t know if that is the only time when anyone has been able to film such thing to happen. I haven´t seen that clip in youtube but it´s there in the documentary.
When talking about Kodiak bears nowadays, not too often is mentioned the person who was the pioneer biologist in capturing and tagging those giants. William A. Troyer, usually known as Will Troyer. This remarkable man passed away 2014 at age 89. His legacy lives still strong and he will always be that pioneer, what comes to bear research in Kodiak islands and Alaskan peninsula.
In this article is told about him and also interesting (and funny) descriptions about learning process what it was in the beginning, when he started to study Kodiak bears. Some quotes: "Alaska's original grizzly bear wrangler -- the wildlife biologist who pioneered the live capture and tagging of Kodiak's famous brown bears -- died Sunday at his home in Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula. Over the years, biologist Will Troyer got up close and personal with more big bears than most people will ever see and lived unscathed to the ripe old age of 89. He died from complications related to surgery for colon cancer." "Cancer, the state's now No. 1 killer, finally claimed a man who'd cheated death at least three times before. Once he went over a waterfall in a raft. Twice he went down in small planes. After one of the crashes, he had to be cut out of the wreckage. "Three times in my life, I knew I was dead,'' he told a reporter in 2005. "I don't count the close calls I've had with bears.'' " "On the Kodiak refuge, though, he made a big mark. The refuge was already famous for its oversized grizzly bears, but they had been little studied. Troyer changed all that beginning in 1955. "That winter at our annual United States Fish and Wildlife Service meeting in Juneau, I announced my intent to capture Kodiak bears,'' he wrote in "Into Brown Bear Country.'' "The audience reacted with loud laughter.'' " "The home-made gas mask was supposed to keep the bear unconscious while the men measured it and clipped on ear tags that would make future identification possible. But the mask didn't work so well. "As the ether dissipated,'' Troyer wrote, "the bear attempted to stand upright before we had finished. I yelled for more ether as I struggled to remain astride the bear -- cowboy fashion -- while at the same time holding the bucket over its muzzle.'' Troyer eventually decided it best to jump off. The bear got up and staggered away. The biologists hadn't been able weigh it, but they did tag it. About 200 more bears would eventually be tagged, though the work just got crazier as Troyer and his gang tried to find a more efficient means of capture than the culvert trap." Whole article, worth to read: https://www.adn.com/adventure/article/alaskas-original-grizzly-bear-wrangler-passes-away/2014/09/24/ It´s actually not easy to find photos of Will Troyer.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Anyone interested about Kodiak and Alaskan peninsula bears should find out his books and read articles in which he has been interviewed or in which is told about him and his work.
This isn´t now in 100% right place, but maybe 50%. I just noticed an article in which a Finnish nature photographer Juha Mälkönen tells about two most exciting experiences from his time spent in the woods (since 12 years old photographing wildlife) and how he isn´t so afraid what comes to bears, but he admits that he is afraid of one other animal, when in the woods. Moose :)
He tells in this article about two most exciting encounters and he isn´t only one who feels in same way. First he tells how he was photographing bears and he wanted to get some photos so, that not inside the hut. When he walked in the woods, suddenly in front of him ran a bear and behind bear three cubs. Juha and bear stopped and looked at each others while distance between them was about five meters. Bear grimaced and revealed its teeth while Juha was standing very still, too afraid to make any move, he had camera, but he was too afraid to even try to lift it. He trusted to it, that a bear won´t attack a human unless provoking it and started to walk slowly backwards, bear started to do the same, checking always after a few meters, that Juha is still doing the same and in that way he managed to get out of the situation safely. He then tells, that while he isn´t so afraid of the bears, with moose it´s a different thing. He tells about another encounter when he met a bull moose. That moose got (for some reason) pissed and charged Juha. He turned and started to run away and managed to get behind one tree, moose crashed that tree right behind him. After that moose followed Juha in a range of a few meters until he managed to get to the road. It was like the moose would have been making sure, that he gets out of the woods. This is one photo taken by Juha Mälkonen.  *This image is copyright of its original author This is article concerning it, what I wrote. In Finnish, so to most here impossible to understand, I think. https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-5669253 |
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