For Those Who Like Bears ;-)))

[CuriousByNature]

5 hours ago, samhexum said:

• They opened a door, and the two bears ran off into the woods safe and sound with the third bear.  Officials believe they got in the vehicle by opening a door, but it’s not clear how the door then closed.

Did anyone see someone with curly blonde hair in the area?

[samhexum]

The bear known as Grizzly 399, who PBS dubbed the "most famous grizzly in the world," was killed Tuesday evening after being hit by a car in Wyoming, according to officials.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the bear was identified through her microchip after being hit on a highway in Snake River Canyon near Jackson, Wyoming. A cub was with her at the time of the accident, but the service said there was no indication the cub was involved in the accident.

Grizzly 399 was an iconic resident of the Grand Teton National Park, located near Yellowstone National Park. Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins described her as one of the animals that makes the area's national park ecosystem "so extraordinary."

"Grizzly bear 399 has been perhaps the most prominent ambassador for the species," Jenkins said. "She has inspired countless visitors into conservation stewardship around the world and will be missed."

The 28-year-old Grizzly was one of the most photographed bears at the park and is the oldest known reproducing female grizzly bear in the greater Yellowstone park system. She's birthed a total of 18 cubs in her lifetime, though only eight have reached adulthood.

PBS dedicated an episode of its "Nature" series to Grizzly 399 in May, titling it "Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons." Trevor Bloom, a wildlife biologist with the University of Washington, noted in the episode that she was seen raising four cubs which he noted was "rare" for bears.

"That's like a human having quadruplets," Bloom said.

American nature photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen first saw Grizzly 399 in May 2006, an exciting but fleeting moment for the photographer. He was among the first to photograph the bear and her cubs, which kickstarted years of documenting the grizzly through the lens.

He told Stanford University in 2021 that Grizzly 399 became the "poster child" of bear conservation. Grizzlies are a protected class as a threatened species, but not considered endangered.

Grizzlies are a subspecies of brown bears and once thrived in North America prior to the early 1800s, but their populations became threatened by European colonizers who believed them to be a danger. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the species were reduced to 2 percent of their population by the 1930s and by 1975 there were only upwards of 800 bears in the contiguous 48 states.

Protections have been put in place to help the bear population rise and now there's an estimated 1,923 in the contiguous U.S., the service said.

[samhexum]

Grandfather dead after bear shot in a tree falls on him while hunting

[samhexum]

https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/meet-albert-fattest-polar-bear-150544218.html

 

Polar bears are built big, but one in Alaska has taken that reputation to new heights. In the small town of Kaktovik, locals know him as Fat Albert, a bear who has captured attention simply because of his enormous size.

At nearly 680 kilograms (1,500 pounds), Albert dwarfs the average polar bear, which weighs closer to 450 kilograms (990 pounds). His oversized frame makes him stand out even in a place where bears are a daily sight. Though not the heaviest ever recorded, Albert’s story has reached far beyond the Arctic.

[samhexum]

 

Okan the bear feeling better at a wildlife center in Istanbul

Unusual footage of a 200-pound bear with an upset stomach being wheeled on a stretcher and scanned through an MRI went viral in Turkey this week.

Okan the bear was feeling sick after he ate too much fruit, so he was taken to Istanbul University’s Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, where he was treated and later released, according to CNN affiliate CNN Turk.

“Our bear, Okan, was taken in with stomach pain and abdominal discomfort. Our veterinarian at Çekmeköy Rehabilitation Center immediately noticed tenderness in Okan’s stomach area,” Park of Istanbul Nature and Life Complex Board Chairman Burak Memişoğlu told CNN Turk.

“He underwent a CT scan to check for any masses. However, the CT scan results came back clean, and his blood count was also checked, and there were no problems. He’s fine now; he’s very tame and happy, and he’ll be in the pool to cool off soon,” Memişoğlu added.

Visitors enjoy seeing him playing back at the wildlife park and recognize him from the news.

This isn’t the first time Okan ate too much fruit. He received similar treatment for the issue three years ago. That’s also when he received the popular Turkish name, Okan.

“Three years ago, when our new employee went to the hospital and didn’t know our bear’s name, he quickly said, ‘I gave him my own name, his name is Okan,’ and our bear’s name was registered as Okan,” Memişoğlu told CNN Turk.

Workers at the wildlife center are continuing to monitor Okan and adjust his food so he doesn’t have tummy troubles again.

“Our veterinarians and biologists here are adjusting our animal friends’ food intake; the amount doesn’t change, either up or down. Okan now eats seasonal fruits and vegetables, and bonito fish and honey in the winter,” Memişoğlu said.