Grizzly Bear Sleeping

A sleepy grizzly bear female takes a nap with a full belly of salmon.

Grizzly Bear Bathing

Photos of the grizzly bear named “Cheetah” taking one of her daily baths.  The photo below shows Cheetah blowing bubbles for the fun of it.

 

Grizzly Bear Yawning

A grizzly bear yawns after a long nap with a belly full of salmon.  You can notice the grizzly bear’s long tongue in this photo.  After scanning the water, she decides to take a bath instead of fishing for more salmon.

Grizzly Bear with Salmon

A salmon run in September provides grizzlies with much needed fat and protein in preparation for winter hibernation.

Cute Grizzly Bear Cubs Photo

Brown bear cubs waiting for their grizzly bear mother while she fishes for salmon.

 

Grizzly Bear Playing with Stick

The grizzly bear named “Cheetah” floats on her back while playing with a long stick.  We observed her for over an hour twirling and juggling this stick with her hands and feet.

Grizzly Bear Taking a Drink

A large male grizzly bear takes a drink of water out of the many small streams flowing into the coastal sedge grass meadows.

Grizzly Bear Evolution into Polar Bears

Polar bears evolved directly from grizzly bears.  The polar bear evolved recently (in geological time) and the two species have even been known to mate in present day.  The photo above shows a grizzly bear with striking polar bear like traits.  He has a long neck which helps keep the nose above water while swimming and very small ears which reduces loss of heat.  Since polar bears do not hibernate through winter like grizzlies, they have evolved traits like small ears and fur covered paws to conserve precious body heat.

The photo below shows one of the white/blond grizzly bears that inhabit the coast of Alaska.  It is easy to imagine how blond bears and bears with long necks would be more successful hunting for seals in the water and on white ice like the polar bear.  Over time, grizzlies with these traits evolved into the white, long necked, smaller eared polar bear.

Grizzly Bear Nasal Cavity

You can peer into the nasal cavity of this grizzly bear skull.  Not only is the nasal cavity taking up a huge portion of the grizzly bear’s skull, but the cavity has a honey comb like structure.  This provides a great amount of surface area for the processing of olfactory information.  Grizzly bears are thought to have a sense of smell 100,000 times greater than humans.

Grizzly Bear Nursing Close-Up

A pair of grizzly bear cubs nursing.  Click here to view more photos of nursing grizzly bears.