Be Bear Smart – Know the Differences between Black Bears and Grizzly Bears
By Contributor
We have many, many black bears in and around Rossland. Grizzlies are far less plentiful across BC, but we occasionally see a grizzly in or around Rossland. From a distance, remember the differences between a black bear and a grizzly bear by the indicators of: hump and rump and then the nose.
Don’t rely on fur colour or size. Black bears and grizzly bears both have fur in many shades of brown. Black bears can be almost white (the Spirit or Kermode bear found on the coast), blonde, cinnamon brown, dark brown and black. So can grizzly bears, though not jet black. Both can be various sizes depending on their age and sex. Full adult male grizzlies can outweigh a full adult male black bear by 200 kg. But it is impossible at a glance to determine their age and sex, so both colour and size are not good indicators when trying to quickly determine species.
Enter the hump and rump distinction. A grizzly bear has a distinctive hump between their front shoulders which black bears do not have. On flat ground, a black bear’s rump is higher than its shoulders, whereas a grizzly bear’s rump is lower than its shoulders.
The face profile is another indicator. A black bear has a straight nose from forehead to nostrils; a grizzly bear has a concave or dish shape between the forehead and the nose.
If you’re watching for tracks, bears have 5 toe pads. Grizzly and black bear pads are distinctly different. This is due to where each species evolved. Black bears are forest dwellers and learn to climb as soon as they leave their den. Grizzly bears evolved in grasslands and the lowlands of the mountains where they find their preferred diet of fish and grassland animals. They are still excellent climbers, but not quite as good as black bears who whiz up and down trees with little effort. Grizzly bear claws are much longer than black bears. Sometimes a black bear paw print will hardly show claw marks at all. For tree climbing the black bear’s front paw toe pad profile became rounded (the inside and outside pad are lower than the 3 middle ones), whereas the grizzly paw toe pads form a straight across profile.
Both bears may stand on hind legs to sniff the air and discern a new scent. It is often impossible to differentiate a grizzly from a black bear during a chance encounter, so for any bear, show respect and give them space and an exit. Back away slowly and have your bear spray ready (and know how to use it).
For more information on bear encounters, visit the WildSafeBC site:
https://wildsafebc.com/species/black-bear/ – look for the “Safety” tab at the top.
This article was written by the volunteers of the Rossland Bear Smart Task Force.
Courtesy of BearWise® | BearWise.org
Comments