subject: Big Plush Bear and the Grizzly Bear Diet [print this page] Big Plush Bear and the Grizzly Bear Diet Big Plush Bear and the Grizzly Bear Diet
A big plush bear should have a place in every child's life. They are after all, the best friend and companion anyone could ever ask for. Much like a dog or cat are considered treasured members of the family, if a child's big plush bear should ever become 'lost' or misplaced, panic will set in, in addition to great apprehension on the child's part when it comes time for it to be washed.
In 2007, the University of Alberta conducted a new study on the Alberta grizzly bear to determine what kinds of food the animal was eating and what its activity patterns were. It was the most comprehensive research ever done in Canada on what grizzlies eat. Co-author of the study, Dr. Mark Boyce, remarked: "Alberta bears have remarkably diverse diets. They'll eat just about anything."
Over a period of three years, researchers analyzed the feces of 18 grizzly bears and also used GPS (global positioning system) for tracking. In a 24 hour period, they discovered that grizzlies accomplish lots of activities. While there is a great deal of knowledge about what bears living in mountain areas feed on, there is not as much known about the grizzly bear diet when they live in boreal forests that are also used by humans. In addition to looking at what the bears were eating, the study also examined five activities they used to find food regardless of whether they were eating fruit, flowers, insects, plants, or other animals.
According to Dr. Boyce, "the diverse diet of the Alberta grizzly bear helps cushion them against climate change and other vagaries of the environment." The team of researchers discovered that grizzlies living in the foothills were very effective in killing both moose and deer. They were most adept at killing moose calves during the spring when other types of food such as berries, were not yet available. In comparison, bears living in the mountains were mostly vegetarian.
Forty different food items were identified by researchers and each was examined so as to determine patterns of use depending on the season. The food was also looked at closely so as to determine the differences if any - between the foothill and mountain environments. During early spring, the grizzly diet consisted mostly of the root of sweet vetch plants while in late spring, they fed on hooved animals (like moose and deer); 83 percent of the time, the bears fed on moose especially newborns (54 percent). White tailed and mule deer were consumed 16 percent of the time while elk was eaten just 1 percent of the time. The grizzlies also ate insects (mostly ants), rodents and birds. In early summer, they ate a great deal of green vegetation in addition to ripe fruit such as berries in early August.
In terms of activity, bears living on eastern slopes were much more active in the morning and evening in comparison to bears living in Banff National Park where activity was mostly nocturnal and coming into contact with humans was more prevalent.
A big plush bear has no food habits to speak of although their owner may require them to attend a tea party or two on occasion. Coming in to contact with humans, is of course, the mainstay of a big plush bear so unlike the real thing, they are quite used to this activity on a daily basis.
big plush bear
big plush bear
Copyright Shelley Vassall, 2010. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
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