The Bear facts! (Bears in General)

Member Name: Ghumphrey

Product:	Bears in General
Date:	27/10/09 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Majestic animals

Disadvantages: Dont get on thier wrong side

Bears in general

I have always liked bears. When I was younger I supported the Chicago Bears American Football team and I suppose that's where my interest with these creatures began. Over the years I have seen a few different varieties of bears in both the wild and captivity and I have always enjoyed seeing them. They are magnificent creatures to watch and a highlight of any visit to a zoo.

A bit about bears

Bears are mammals and are classed as being dog like. There are eight living species of bears and they can be found in wide variety of habitats. Bears are found in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Normally they are a solitary animal and come together only to mate. The most common species of bear is the Brown Bear.

Many people think that bears are nocturnal animals. It is true that they do like to venture out at night but they equally as happy to go out during the day. Over the winter months bears in the Northern hemisphere tend to hibernate. This is where they go into a period of winter sleep and will only rouse infrequently to relieve themselves.

Bears that I have seen

Most of the bears that I have seen have been in captivity and for the most part they all appeared to be happy and well looked after. I really enjoyed seeing a very happy panda in Berlin Zoo. It was a cold day so the panda was inside but it was feeding time and the panda was clearly enjoying a few carrots. I could almost swear that it was smiling at us.

Last summer on Mount Rainer, just outside Seattle we were lucky enough to witness a female black bear with her cub searching for food. Whilst this was a great spectacle it was worrying as the ranger pointed out that the bear had to come further down the mountain looking for food and at that level it wasn't all that safe for the cubs.

I have also seen polar bears, brown bears, koala bears and most recently a spectacled bear which now lives at Belfast zoo.

Ultimately I am a big fan of these creatures and love seeing them but more importantly I hope they survive for many more centuries in the wild.

Summary: Priviledged to have seen so many