| Early May on Kodiak Island. Fog drowns
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| | their mothers, who teach them the skills
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| the lush forest in mystery. Spattered
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| | needed for survival before chasing them
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| across a black earthen floor, slushy snow
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| | off.
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| melts in shadowy rings. From a wooded
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| | No skill is more important to a Kodiak
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| den, a shaggy brown head appears.
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| | than eating, and this activity takes up
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| Unbelievable in size, the creature
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| | most of its waking hours. Although
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| emerges slowly. Ursus arctos
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| | classified as a carnivore, bears are
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| middendorffi, Alaska's Kodiak Bear,
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| | actually omnivorous, and eat everything
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| awakes from her long winter's nap. She's
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| | from grasses and berries to fish and
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| not alone. Snuggled close to her massive
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| | carrion. Eating patterns maximize
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| front paws sit two cubs, the size of
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| | nutritional content. Emerging from their
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| stuffed Teddy bears. Together they weigh
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| | dens as early as March, bears will eat
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| only twenty pounds, and are hardly
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| | grass and sedges in the spring when they
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| noticeable in comparison to their 500
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| | grow most abundantly. They feast on fish
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| pound mother. Though large, the sow is
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| | when the salmon run begins in the summer.
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| lean, for she has lost 30% of her body
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| | These months are crucial as bears must
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| weight over the winter. Giving birth,
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| | gain three to six pounds of fat per day
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| nursing, and caring for her young has
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| | to survive hibernation. This is the time
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| taken its toll, and now is the season for
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| | to catch a glimpse of the bear in the
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| eating. One at a time, she carries her
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| | wild, as they will compete over the best
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| cubs in her jaw out of the den and sets
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| | fishing spots along a stream. As the
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| them rolling on the forest floor.
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| | salmon supply dwindles, bears turn their
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| Kodiak Island is sometimes called
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| | attention to berries, which are at their
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| "Alaska's Emerald Isle." With knobby
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| | peak as autumn approaches. If the food
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| mountains, countless waterfalls, finger
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| | supply has not been adequate, a bear may
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| lakes, and deep narrow inlets, it could
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| | not hibernate.
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| well be called Neverland, for it is the
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| | At about five or six years old, female
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| place of fantasy. After Hawaii, it is the
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| | Kodiaks begin breeding. Bears are
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| second largest island in the United
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| | serially monogamous, and boars will
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| States, 3,800 square miles largely
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| | sometimes fight over a mate, sometimes
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| devoted to the vast National Wildlife
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| | causing serious injuries. Mating season
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| Refuge. With 117 salmon streams, 14 major
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| | peaks in June, although embryo
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| watersheds, and less than 100 miles of
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| | implantation will not occur until the
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| road, it is the perfect place for the
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| | impregnated sow is denned in November.
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| Kodiak Bear.
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| | Only if she has gained the necessary
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| Kodiak Bears have existed on this island
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| | weight for hibernation will the embryo
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| for 12,000 years. With their stream-lined
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| | implant and the eight week gestation
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| noses and larger bone structure-they are
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| | begin.
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| the world's largest bear-Kodiaks are the
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| | In response to the winter food shortage,
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| only scientifically recognized
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| | bears hibernate through the winter
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| sub-species of the Brown Bear. Separated
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| | months. During this time they will not
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| as they are from the continent, Kodiaks
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| | eat, urinate, or defecate. Astonishingly,
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| have a smaller gene pool. But this is not
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| | they lose very little bone mass or muscle
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| the only difference. Other bears,
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| | tone. But hibernating bears are not
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| grizzlies and browns, require one or two
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| | unconscious. Although their body
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| hundred miles for survival, taking their
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| | temperatures drop close to the
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| food requirement into account. Here on
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| | surrounding temperature, bears' metabolic
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| Kodiak Island, where food is abundant,
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| | rates remain high. They curl up to
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| the population of bears is denser than
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| | conserve heat, and may change their
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| anywhere else on earth. There are 0.7
| |
| | positions in their dens. Aroused, bears
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| bears per square mile, a total population
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| | may even attack, although this is very
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| of close to 3,000 bears on Kodiak and the
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| | rare. Only one person has been killed by
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| surrounding archipelagos. Due to their
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| | a Kodiak Bear in the last 75 years.
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| close proximity, these bruins have
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| | Bear-caused injuries occur about one
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| developed a more diverse social
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| | every other year on the island.
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| structure, with large boars and sows with
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| | Although they are the largest predator on
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| cubs vying for dominance. Single
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| | the earth, bears are normally shy and not
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| subadults, aged 3 to 5 years take up the
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| | aggressive toward humans unless provoked
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| bottom rungs of the hierarchy.
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| | or afraid. With their slot secure at the
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| For good reason bears capture the
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| | top of the food chain, the Kodiak's only
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| interest and hearts of many. Bear
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| | natural enemy is man. Hunting on Kodiak
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| watchers, who keep a proper distance,
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| | Island is only allowed under the tightest
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| sometimes term these creatures "gentle
| |
| | of regulations. About 5,000 resident
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| giants." Adult boars stand up to ten feet
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| | hunters apply per year for one of the 319
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| tall and weigh between 750 and 1,500
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| | bear permits. Non-residents are required
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| pounds. (Females are considerably smaller
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| | to hire a professional guide, an expense
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| at 350-750 pounds.) They live fascinating
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| | between $10K-$15K per hunt. 160 Kodiak
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| lives, and are as unique and
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| | bears are killed each season, with 70% of
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| unpredictable as humans. Weighing less
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| | them males. Otherwise, Kodiak Bears enjoy
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| than one pound, hairless, blind, and
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| | relatively long lives between 20 and 30
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| toothless, cubs enter life almost as
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| | years.
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| helpless as human babies. One to three
| |
| | It is not uncommon to hear a bear watcher
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| cubs is born in each litter, although
| |
| | speak of their quarry as if they are
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| sows have been spotted with up to five
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| | family. These outdoorsmen may track a sow
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| cubs. Litter size largely depends on the
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| | and her cubs for years, and may even give
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| health of the mother and food
| |
| | them names. Some consider bears our
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| availability. By the end of their first
| |
| | cousins, and certainly there is a
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| year of life cubs weigh up to 80 pounds.
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| | kinship. Perhaps it started when we
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| For two to four years cubs remain with
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| | squeezed our first Teddy Bear.
|
