Instead, they prefer to stalk and surprise attack.Ĭougars live primarily in the Rocky Mountains and dark, forested areas of Western Canada, where they are less likely to be seen. Despite their incredible land speed, cougars rarely chase their prey. Cougars can sprint at 56 kilometres an hour, jump five to 10 metres and see a span of 130 degrees. Cougar's claws are retractable and emerge only when they're hunting. Cougars have long tails, small rounded ears and red, grey or brown fur.Īlso known as a puma or a mountain lion, a cougar can kill an animal up to four times its size. These large cats weigh around 60 to 80 kilograms and live 10 to 12 years in the wild.
It’s estimated that 4,000 cougars live in Canada, of which 3,500 reside in British Columbia. Before exploring in bear country, become bear aware.ĭownload the bear awareness colouring book for kidsĬredit: Flickr Marie Hale cc by 2.0 Cougar Watch for markings on trees, which black bears make with their claws and teeth. They can also develop a taste for human food and waste, making them one of the more commonly present bears in urban areas, and therefore in danger of being euthanized.īlack bears prefer escape and intimidation tactics when confronted by humans, but will sometimes attack, especially as humans continue to encroach on their territory. Although most of their diet consists of vegetation, black bears also eat fish and mammals. Black bears typically live in forests and are excellent tree climbers. They are extremely adaptable, solitary (except for mothers with cubs) and omnivorous animals. They are approximately 150 to 180 centimetres long, with straight faces, tall ears, shorter front claws and the lack of an obvious hump.īlack bears can also be brown, blond or cinnamon. Considerably smaller than grizzly and polar bears, black bears can weigh up to 290 kilograms, although most adult males weigh around 135 kilograms. More than 380,000 black bears live in Canada. Heading out for an adventure in bear country (especially during springtime-mating season)? Take safety precautions to ensure you don’t cross paths with an unsuspecting grizzly.Ĭredit: Photo by Geoff Brooks on Unsplash Black bear The saying goes: " A fed bear is a dead bear." The grizzly population has been negatively affected by human impacts, habitat loss and climate change. Unfortunately, like black bears, grizzly bears are attracted to human food. When eating animal protein, grizzlies feed on mammals and spawning salmon. However, they are highly adaptable and can also be up to 81 per cent carnivorous. Grizzlies are omnivores, feeding up to 98 per cent on vegetation. Grizzly bears have widely varying diets that depend mainly on the season and available food sources. Like black bears, they're not true hibernators-their body temperatures may drop and respiration may slow, but grizzly bears can remain active all winter. Grizzly bears have no natural predators other than humans. They live as solitary animals (unless with cubs) in densely forested areas, alpine meadows and the arctic tundra. The grizzly bear is distinguished from the black bear not by its colour, but by its large shoulder hump, very long front claws, concave and dish-shaped face, and rounded ears. The Canadian grizzly is called a brown bear outside of North America.ĭespite being large and muscular, grizzly bears are fantastic runners (which is why no one should ever try to out-run a grizzly). Grizzlies can weigh up to 400 kilograms and stand over two metres tall.
However, the number of polar bears hunted for sport or for meat greatly outnumbers the humans killed by polar bears. Canada is committed to protecting this vulnerable species that has been negatively impacted due to climate change.Ĭredit: Photo by Calgary Photo Pro on Unsplash Grizzly bearĪpproximately 25,000 grizzly bears live in Canada. Hungry, aggressive, protective or territorial bears that are unaccustomed to people can be unpredictable and have attacked humans. Polar bears generally won't attack humans unless provoked. Their only natural predator is other polar bears-and humans. Polar bears have 42 teeth, which aid their carnivorous appetites. The soles of their feet are adorned with small bumps, which allow them to grip on the ice as they travel.
Their front paws are large, flat and act as paddles while they swim and hunt underwater. Polar bears have transparent fur and black skin. They primarily feed on seals, but also hunt walruses and beluga whales. Adult males can grow up to 2.5 metres tall and weigh up to 775 kilograms. They can live 20 to 30 years and spend most of their time on sea ice. Credit: Photo by Dan Bolton on Unsplash Polar bearĪpproximately 16,000 polar bears live in Canada.
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