Brown bear, brown bear

These are a couple of clips I took at the Minnesota Zoo, watching two of the three Brown bears (also called grizzly bears) playing in the water.  Earlier, we had seen the three of them napping.


All three were rescued as orphaned cubs in 2006. The two males are named Haines and Kenai, and the female is called Sadie. They all just turned five years old this year. They will reach their full growth in another year,  perhaps. Haines, the largest, will probably reach a weight of 1200 lbs and stand 9 feet tall when upright. Because of human encroachment on their habitat, the impact of global warming, and other threats, conservation efforts in zoos are important for increasing knowledge about endangered animals as well as reproduction programs. These bears at the MN Zoo are given lots of new things to react to in their habitat. To see them just hanging out from so close is incredible. Having seen the Herzog documentary film Grizzly Man, based on the life and death of Timothy Treadwell, I don't see the bears as just "cute," but they are fascinatingly attractive.




They have lots more great videos at MN Zoo YouTube Channel. I have lots of questions about what will happen when the bears are old enough to mate (very soon). Will they have to separate them? Will the males compete for Sadie? Of course, they will have a plan for this, but I'd love to learn more.

In a video on the zoo's website, the Zoo's Director and keepers explain some of the "enrichment and training" activities that they use to keep the animals from getting bored, help them engage in their natural behaviors, and also provide opportunities for research. There's a great segment on the bears.

The awesomeness of grizzly bears

The Minnesota Zoo has a YouTube Channel, and they posted a great video of 3 grizzly bears destroying a 500 lb pumpkin. They are an amazing sight as they emerge from their cave, so big, so plushy, such long claws and strength!


But the silence of the zoo-cam video is a little disappointing. I love this video of the same event shot by a zoo visitor, and what a great soundtrack! And the extra footage of the bear playing with a piece of the pumpkin in the water is wonderful.
The zoo also uses the bears for education: "Bear Awareness Week" shows what it looks like if you don't bear-proof your campsite!