Brown bears, sometimes called grizzlies, are among the biggest animals on earth. They grow particularly large in Kamchatka, in Russia’s far east, and on the coast of Alaska. They may grow to be 1,300 pounds and 10 feet tall.

What They Eat

Bears are omnivores, eating whatever they find in season. The vast bulk of their diet is plant material, but they also will eat fish, insects, and mammals. Salmon are a favorite food for bears on the coasts.

Where They Live

Very adaptable, brown bears range over large areas throughout northern Asia, Europe, and North America. With low human populations and a large supply of food, Russia’s Kamchatka has more brown bears per square mile than anywhere else.

What They Do

Especially in the far north, grizzlies put on up to 400 pounds of fat each summer. They use the extra weight to survive the winter asleep in their dens without food.

How They’re Doing

Brown bears used to roam across much of the northern hemisphere. Their range has decreased worldwide but the populations of the Russian Far East are among the strongest (about 30,000, with one-third of those in Kamchatka). Even here, poaching of bears and the salmon they eat threatens their future.

brownBear_webRangeMaps

Where in the World

North America
Asia
Europe

Habitat

Prairie/Steppe
Temperate Forest/Taiga
Tundra

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Animal Facts

Height: up to 10 ft
Weight: up to 1,300 lbs
Lifespan: generally 15-20 years, up to 30 in captivity

Taxonomic Category

Mammal, Carnivore

Where at the Zoo

Russia’s Grizzly Coast

“Sadie”

Sadie was an orphaned cub when she was found near a landfill  in Kotzebue, Alaska, and rescued by the Alaska Department  of Fish and Game. Officials named her after nearby Sadie Creek.  She spent her first two years at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC)  until she moved to the Minnesota Zoo in 2008.

Although born in Alaska,  she and the other bears at the Zoo are the same species as the brown bears in  nearby Russia.

How to Recognize Her:
Sadie is the smallest of the three bears.

Distinguishing Characteristics:
Sadie started out as the dominant member of the group,  despite her smaller size. She is feisty, independent, and playful.

“Haines”

A second bear cub found in July 2006 is nearly the same age  as Sadie. This orphan was named “Haines” after he was found roaming the porches  and yards near the town of Haines, Alaska. Shortly after  being found, he joined Sadie at the AWCC.

How to Recognize Him:
Haines is hard to miss. He’s the darkest and largest of the  three bears.

Distinguishing Characteristics:
Since a very young age, Haines has been a particularly large  bear. Despite his immense size, he’s said to have a calm and easygoing  disposition. He gradually took on the role of the dominant bear in the group.

“Kenai” (pronounced kee-nye)

In September 2006 a third bear cub was found along the coast  near Seward, on Alaska’s Kenai   peninsula. He joined Sadie and Haines at the AWCC shortly after  being found.

How to Recognize Him:
Kenai is the middle bear.  He’s neither the darkest nor the lightest, the largest or the smallest.  He likes to swim and fish a lot.

Distinguishing Characteristics:
Kenai is the most submissive of the group, known as  curious but and shy. Still, he regularly wrestles Haines, and when it comes time  to new things he’s most likely to be the first to try them.

  • A large female brown bear can weigh 770 pounds and a large male can weigh 1,300 pounds before winter.
  • Thank salmon for the giant bears of Kamchatka. The fat salmon carry helps bears gain up to 400 extra pounds that they need to survive winter.
  • More Americans die each year from bee stings (50 to 100) than from bears (about one every other year). When bears do attack people, it’s usually out of defense and territoriality.
  • Brown bears have been successful around the world for hundreds of thousands of years. Respected, revered, and feared by humans, they figure large in the stories and beliefs of cultures worldwide.
  • The brown bears of Kamchatka belong to the same species as those found in the United States. Brown bears originated 1.25 million years ago and migrated to North America across the Bering land bridge during the Pleistocene Ice Age.
  • Brown bears and polar bears are tied as the world’s largest land-dwelling meat eaters. In America, we commonly call them grizzlies. In Russia, they’re all called burii medved.

Sidebar Content

On the Kamchatka peninsula, brown bears face threats from poaching and other human activities.

Things the Zoo’s done/doing

The Minnesota Zoo contributes funds to help the  Wildlife Conservation Society study bears on the Kamchatka.  It has also provided grants to help with brown bear conservation in Wyoming and Alaska.