How global warming affects Polar Bears

Yes, this is a grizzly bear blog, but did you know that polar bears are very closely related to grizzly bears? They have evolved from brown/grizzly bears only over the last 250,000 years to become one of the most perfectly adapted creatures on the planet.I guide expeditions to the far north each year to the Norwegian...

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Polar Bears Listed as Threatened

Excepts from an article written by Juliet EilperinWashington Post Staff WriterWednesday, December 27, 2006; A01The Bush administration has proposed listing the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, putting the U.S. government on record as saying that global warming could drive one of the world's most...

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Brown or grizzly? Take a lookMany people ask about the difference between grizzly bears and brown bears. Technically, the difference is very small. Both species are Ursus arctos (as with all brown bears around the world), but the grizzly bear is a sub-species of the North American brown bear which means that its full...

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Ranchers and Grizzlies can coexist!

A recent article appeared in the winter 2007 issue of �On Earth� magazine profiling Montana ranchers working to protect and live with Grizzly Bears. The Madison valley is located just 40 miles northwest of Yellowstone National Park. The area is a cross section of the new west; cattle ranchers, second home owners and a...

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Kids in the Hood

Outside of Anchorage, Alaska a family installed an outdoor play station in their backyard. I�m sure that they expected other kids in the neighborhood would enjoy the equipment.In fact, the very first morning, four locals did stop by to pla...

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Are you Bear Smart?

Did you know that bird feeders are powerful bear attractants? They love black sunflower seeds like we love ice cream. Or that compost and fruit on the ground can draw a bear from a mile away? And that unsecured garbage cans full of rotten food are an open invitation for bears to dine?A bear that hangs around your house,...

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Skagit Valley Poster Contest

Kids love wild animals, and bears are no exception. This fall the GBOP's Bear Smart Program sponsored the Upper Skagit Bear Smart Poster Contest for students living within Concrete School District. Chris Morgan, GBOP Co-Director, and Nan Laney, Skagit and Northern Snohomish Coordinator, kicked off interest in the poster...

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GBOP expands

Nan Laney, who has worked as the Skagit and Whatcom County Field Coordinator located in Washington State for the past 3 years, has recently moved her working area south to include the northwest part of Snohomish County -- the North and South Fork Stillaguamish Valleys that include Darrington and Granite Falls. Whatcom...

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Grizzly Bear Sighting

In the North Cascades there are approximately 6,000 Black Bears and less than 20 Grizzly Bears. Grizzly sightings generate a lot of excitement due to their rarity. When a credible Grizzly Bear report is received, efforts are made to verify the accuracy and to follow up and locate the bear. This August a possible �Class...

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Summer Friend

As I look out my window at the first snowfall of the year, I wonder where my summer friend has chosen to spend the next five months sleeping. Our property borders the Okanogan National Forest and was home to this bear throughout the spring, summer and into early fall.We coexisted quite easily by respecting each other�s...

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Two Orphans

Two orphaned Brown Bears, also known as Grizzly Bears, live at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. These brothers grew up in a research facility. When the Woodland Park Zoo created the new Brown Bear habitat exhibit, these two brothers got a new home. Today Denali and Kima are nine years old. They love their new home and...

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