🐻 A Crash Course in The Grizzly Vs Black Bear Showdown

You’re out in the wilderness, enjoying the great outdoors when you come face to face with a bear. What do you do? Don’t panic! We’ve got your back with this handy guide to differentiating between black and grizzly bears:

🧸 BEAR FASHION:

Black Bear: Don’t be fooled by the name – they’re the chameleon’s of the bear world, showing up in black, brown, cinnamon and even blonde!

Grizzly Bear: Grizzlies are known for their au natural shaggy look, rocking a blend of blonde, brown and dark brown fur.

But remember, if your trying to identify either bear by their fur colour, you might as well be guessing which M&M flavour is in the bag blindfolded. It’s a wild spectrum, and not a great identifier of bear species.

➕ SIZE MATTERS:

Black Bear: “Size isn’t everything” might be their motto. They’re generally smaller and more compact.

Grizzly Bear: Grizzlies are the body builders of the bear world, including a hump to prove it! They’re big, buff, and proud of it. If you can spot that key giveaway hump, it’s definitely a grizzly bear. They’re not shy about flaunting their silhouette.

🐽 SNOUT TEST AND CLAW-SOME CLUES:

Black Bear: That sniffer is doggone dog-like, with short claws (2.5cm) ready for some climbing.

Grizzly Bear: Nose like a pig on a wild truffle hunt, with long, fierce claws (7.5 – 10cm) that are great for digging. You might catch a Grizzly attempting a tree-scaling stunt, but they are quite clumsy at it.

🐾 SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR:

Black Bear: These bears are commonly shy and introverted. They prefer to keep their distance, and are mostly curious and cautious.

Grizzly Bear: The supposed ultimate influencers, always in the spotlight as being more assertive and outgoing, but don’t be fooled. They may strut their stuff, but when humans show up, they can also make a run for it.

🥗 PREFERRED PICNIC:

Black Bear: The salad bar connoisseurs, they are omnivores who prefer to munch on berries and nuts, occasionally spicing things up with some hunting or scavenging.

Grizzly Bear: Grizzlies, an omnivore, are mainly vegetarian in these parts. But when they decide to diversify, they go all in – hunting and scavenging for a taste for carrion cuisine!

It’s important to treat all bears with respect and always follow proper bear safety protocols, carry bear spray, and be bear-aware in the outdoors.

ALBERTA PARKS BROCHURE FOR BEAR ID: https://www.albertaparks.ca/media/123478/bear-smart-brochure.pdf