Get to know the magnificent bear better

For bear lovers, a special wildlife holiday offers the opportunity to observe these amazing animals at a fairly close distance. With a qualified and experienced naturalist guide, aspiring bear watchers can better interpret elusive and often misunderstood bear habits and behaviors. As in most disciplines, the world of wildlife observation uses specific terms to describe animal behavior. Mastering this zoological term will help beginner bear watchers quickly become professionals.

Bear habit

Generally speaking, most bears are diurnal. That is, like humans, they are active during the day and sleep at night. However, bears that live near towns and villages are likely to be nocturnal, sleeping during the day and roaming around in search of food at night to avoid humans. You will also find that the best time to see bears on a wildlife holiday is either at dawn or at dusk. This is because some bears are crepuscular, that is, they tend to be active at dusk.

Bear diet

Like humans, most bears are omnivores and eat both plants and animals. However, there are some exceptions. For example, carnivorous polar bears have evolved to eat marine mammals such as ringed seals almost exclusively in the absence of vegetation in the Arctic Circle. Giant pandas, on the other hand, are herbivores and eat only bamboo shoots. It can weigh up to 14 kg per day.

Bears spend a lot of time foraging and search extensively for fruits, nuts, roots, acorns and other food sources. They are very curious, very opportunistic, and investigate almost everything as a potential food source. One of the best times to catch bear food is the annual salmon run, when Atlantic and Pacific salmon swim upstream and spawn. Along the way, some of these salmon are inevitably caught and eaten by black bears and brown bears who are familiar with their habits.

Speak the bear language

Bears are known for their menacing growls, but there are many other vocalizations. Bear moans probably pose a mild threat, but barking bears are probably wary and agitated. You may hear a bear huff during courtship or warn the child of imminent danger. Both the roar and the roar are warnings and intimidating sounds that firmly declare the bear’s territorial rights. If you’re lucky enough to see a bear cub on a wildlife holiday, you might hear humming. This can be a sign of satisfaction, much like a cat’s rumbling.

Sleep like a bear

Most northern bears, with the exception of polar bears, hibernate during the winter. In late autumn, black and brown retreat into burrow-like shelters, sleeping in the cold and barren season. It lowers your body temperature, slows your metabolism, and allows you to spend 3-8 months without food and waste. Before hibernating, bears enter a period of bulimia, or excessive diet, to put in body fat stores that maintain them until spring. Surprisingly, women give birth during hibernation and support them until the snow melts. One bear may enter the burrow in the fall, but three or four bears may appear in the spring!

Bears are complex and fascinating animals that have long inspired human imagination. While bears are watching wildlife holidays, they have the privilege of observing these wildlife created by nature. With highly qualified professionals as your guide, any nature beginner can come to understand these awe-inspiring animals.