The Kodiak Bear

Early May on Kodiak Island. Fog drowns the lushchasing them off.
forest in mystery. Spattered across a blackNo skill is more important to a Kodiak than eating,
earthen floor, slushy snow melts in shadowy rings.and this activity takes up most of its waking
From a wooded den, a shaggy brown headhours. Although classified as a carnivore, bears are
appears. Unbelievable in size, the creatureactually omnivorous, and eat everything from
emerges slowly. Ursus arctos middendorffi,grasses and berries to fish and carrion. Eating
Alaska's Kodiak Bear, awakes from her longpatterns maximize nutritional content. Emerging
winter's nap. She's not alone. Snuggled close to herfrom their dens as early as March, bears will eat
massive front paws sit two cubs, the size ofgrass and sedges in the spring when they grow
stuffed Teddy bears. Together they weigh onlymost abundantly. They feast on fish when the
twenty pounds, and are hardly noticeable insalmon run begins in the summer. These months
comparison to their 500 pound mother. Thoughare crucial as bears must gain three to six pounds
large, the sow is lean, for she has lost 30% ofof fat per day to survive hibernation. This is the
her body weight over the winter. Giving birth,time to catch a glimpse of the bear in the wild, as
nursing, and caring for her young has taken its toll,they will compete over the best fishing spots
and now is the season for eating. One at a time,along a stream. As the salmon supply dwindles,
she carries her cubs in her jaw out of the denbears turn their attention to berries, which are at
and sets them rolling on the forest floor.their peak as autumn approaches. If the food
Kodiak Island is sometimes called "Alaska'ssupply has not been adequate, a bear may not
Emerald Isle." With knobby mountains, countlesshibernate.
waterfalls, finger lakes, and deep narrow inlets, itAt about five or six years old, female Kodiaks
could well be called Neverland, for it is the place ofbegin breeding. Bears are serially monogamous,
fantasy. After Hawaii, it is the second largestand boars will sometimes fight over a mate,
island in the United States, 3,800 square milessometimes causing serious injuries. Mating season
largely devoted to the vast National Wildlifepeaks in June, although embryo implantation will
Refuge. With 117 salmon streams, 14 majornot occur until the impregnated sow is denned in
watersheds, and less than 100 miles of road, it isNovember. Only if she has gained the necessary
the perfect place for the Kodiak Bear.weight for hibernation will the embryo implant and
Kodiak Bears have existed on this island forthe eight week gestation begin.
12,000 years. With their stream-lined noses andIn response to the winter food shortage, bears
larger bone structure-they are the world's largesthibernate through the winter months. During this
bear-Kodiaks are the only scientifically recognizedtime they will not eat, urinate, or defecate.
sub-species of the Brown Bear. Separated asAstonishingly, they lose very little bone mass or
they are from the continent, Kodiaks have amuscle tone. But hibernating bears are not
smaller gene pool. But this is not the onlyunconscious. Although their body temperatures
difference. Other bears, grizzlies and browns,drop close to the surrounding temperature, bears'
require one or two hundred miles for survival,metabolic rates remain high. They curl up to
taking their food requirement into account. Hereconserve heat, and may change their positions in
on Kodiak Island, where food is abundant, thetheir dens. Aroused, bears may even attack,
population of bears is denser than anywhere elsealthough this is very rare. Only one person has
on earth. There are 0.7 bears per square mile, abeen killed by a Kodiak Bear in the last 75 years.
total population of close to 3,000 bears on KodiakBear-caused injuries occur about one every other
and the surrounding archipelagos. Due to theiryear on the island.
close proximity, these bruins have developed aAlthough they are the largest predator on the
more diverse social structure, with large boarsearth, bears are normally shy and not aggressive
and sows with cubs vying for dominance. Singletoward humans unless provoked or afraid. With
subadults, aged 3 to 5 years take up the bottomtheir slot secure at the top of the food chain, the
rungs of the hierarchy.Kodiak's only natural enemy is man. Hunting on
For good reason bears capture the interest andKodiak Island is only allowed under the tightest of
hearts of many. Bear watchers, who keep aregulations. About 5,000 resident hunters apply
proper distance, sometimes term these creaturesper year for one of the 319 bear permits.
"gentle giants." Adult boars stand up to ten feetNon-residents are required to hire a professional
tall and weigh between 750 and 1,500 pounds.guide, an expense between $10K-$15K per hunt.
(Females are considerably smaller at 350-750160 Kodiak bears are killed each season, with
pounds.) They live fascinating lives, and are as70% of them males. Otherwise, Kodiak Bears
unique and unpredictable as humans. Weighing lessenjoy relatively long lives between 20 and 30
than one pound, hairless, blind, and toothless, cubsyears.
enter life almost as helpless as human babies. OneIt is not uncommon to hear a bear watcher
to three cubs is born in each litter, although sowsspeak of their quarry as if they are family. These
have been spotted with up to five cubs. Litteroutdoorsmen may track a sow and her cubs for
size largely depends on the health of the motheryears, and may even give them names. Some
and food availability. By the end of their first yearconsider bears our cousins, and certainly there is a
of life cubs weigh up to 80 pounds. For two tokinship. Perhaps it started when we squeezed our
four years cubs remain with their mothers, whofirst Teddy Bear.
teach them the skills needed for survival before