Grizzly Bears are considered the dominate predator throughout their natural range. Depending on the availability of food, a Grizzly Bear may require a home range of up to 500 square miles in order to support itself.

Grizzly Bears are members of the Brown Bear Family along with the Kodiak bear. The term, “Grizzly” refers to the appearance of the hair on the back of mature bears. It is light brown with white tips, giving it a “grizzled,” or gray appearance. Grizzlies are generally larger than Black Bears and have a distinct hump on their shoulders. This hump is a mass of muscle that provides them with tremendous strength for digging, moving rocks and trees, or mauling their prey. Male Grizzly bears range in weight from 300 to 850 pounds. They have long claws measuring as much as five inches in length.

While Grizzlies may congregate in areas that have an abundant food supply, they actually live a solitary lifestyle. They are only social during times of breeding. As a result, they do not have strong mating ties, and will rarely stay with a mate for more than a month. Mating takes place between May and July but Grizzlies undergo “delayed implantation” in which the fertilized egg does not start to develop until the bear begins its period of hibernation. Birth takes place while the bear is in this dormant condition.