Nearly 100,000 Grizzly Bears used to roam the western United States as far
south as Mexico. Grizzlies originally inhabited the plains and mountains, but
have since been pushed back into isolated populations in Wyoming, Montana,
Idaho and Alaska.
Bears are considered to be among some of the great predators of the
wilderness. Grizzlies are on average 3.5 feet from head to fore foot and 6 to
7 feet when standing erect. They weigh anywhere from 250 lbs. to 1,000 lbs.
Males usually weigh twice as much as females.
Though bears may sometimes look playful or harmless they must always be
considered extremely dangerous.
Grizzlies evolved over a long period of time in open habitat conditions.
Because the grizzly had no escape routes, they developed a defensive aggressive
behavioral mode of challenging intruders with bluffing and if necessary making
contact with and immobilizing the threat before quickly retreating.
The actions of the grizzly comes from natural evolution, and the majority
of human bear conflict is a result of a human penetrating the bears area or
threatening cubs or food.
A bear's aggression is a natural response through the bears own evolution.
