Golden Bear Aware - Know your bears, black or grizzly?
Telling the difference between black bears and
grizzly bears
It is important to be able to distinguish bears and which species you are dealing with when reporting them or meeting them.
Image courtesy of Whistler BearSmart
“Mickey Mouse” ears
appear very large
Colors: black, brown, white
Will tree cubs in danger
Able to climb anything
Numbers in BC: 120,000-140,000
Image courtesy of Whistler BearSmart
“Button” ears small
and round
Colors: dark brown, shades of brown, blonde, silver tips
Will not tree cubs usually
Able to climb what you can climb
Numbers in BC: 6,000-8,000
SIZE is not a good determinant of species. A large black bear may be larger than a grizzly cub or yearling.
Black bear
COMMON TO BOTH SPECIES
Exceptional sense of smell
Very fast runners up and downhill
Females very protective of their young
Very strong, curious and intelligent
Mate in June in BC usually
Diet is 80% vegetation & 20% meat
All cubs are born during hibernation
Newborns weigh less than a pound
Telling the difference between black bears and
grizzly bears
