Buzz
Bears have been significant figures in human history, taking on various roles. They’ve been feared as dangerous predators, worshipped for their strength, and even treated as cuddly creatures, captured and made to perform tricks.
So, what do we really know about bears, aside from their fur, might, and love for hibernation? Well…
9. They Are Capable of Using Tools
Though their massive size might make many bears appear as clumsy giants, they are actually quite intelligent. Experts rank their cognitive abilities alongside those of great apes, with some even suggesting that bears' intelligence is comparable to that of a three-year-old child.
There is growing evidence that bears are far more clever than we once believed. In 2012, an Alaskan brown bear was observed using a rock to groom and scratch itself. This remarkable discovery places bears alongside elephants, dolphins, ravens, and whales in the elite group of non-primate animals known to use tools.
8. Bear Farms
In certain East Asian countries, bears are valued for the bile from their gallbladders, which is believed to have healing properties. This bile is thought to alleviate internal heat and cure a variety of conditions, from hangovers to cancer. It is commonly used in many products, including food and shower gels.
This has resulted in the cruel and troubling practice of bear farming. In these farms, numerous black bears are confined to extremely small cages, where their gallbladders are regularly drained of bile.
Recently, there has been increasing pressure from officials to put an end to bear farming. However, given that bile has been used in traditional Asian medicine for centuries, this horrific practice is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
7. Bear Brain Surgery
Bears can suffer from medical conditions strikingly similar to those in humans. One such ailment is hydrocephalus, a painful condition where fluid builds up in the brain, creating pressure. If left untreated, hydrocephalus is fatal, causing a slow, relentless migraine that intensifies until it eventually leads to death.
Thanks to modern medical advancements, both bears and humans now have a solution for this alarming condition. The first successful brain surgery on a bear was recently performed in Laos. The patient, an Asiatic black bear named Champa, was suffering from hydrocephalus. She survived the procedure with minimal harm, aside from some brain damage caused by the pressure from the fluid. After recovering (and enduring the embarrassment of having part of her fur shaved), Champa is now much more energetic, and her relief is easily visible.
6. The Largest Bear
There is some disagreement about which bear holds the title of the largest. Most experts attribute this to the polar bear, which can weigh over 1,000 kilograms and reach a height of 2.44 meters (eight feet) when standing. However, some Kodiak bears (a subspecies of brown bear) can be significantly bulkier, with certain individuals exceeding three meters (10 feet) tall and weighing more than 1,134 kilograms. On average, though, polar bears tend to be larger.
However, there was once a bear even larger. The giant short-faced bear, which roamed South America during the Pleistocene era, stood an astonishing 3.35 meters (11 feet) tall and weighed a massive 1,588 kilograms.
5. Hibernation
One of the biggest mysteries about bears has always been their ability to hibernate. For a long time, all we knew was that it happened, but no one could explain how such a large animal could gorge itself on food, then shut down its body functions for up to five months. While smaller mammals like marmots and bats can do this, a bear’s size made it seem almost impossible.
In 2011, scientists made significant progress in understanding this process by observing five bears hibernating in a controlled setting. Until then, it was believed that bears conserved energy mainly by lowering their body temperature, but this was proven false. Their body temperature drops by only about 6°C. Instead, a bear uses a variety of mechanisms: its breathing slows to just one or two breaths per minute, and its heart beats rapidly in sync with each breath, for a total of only four beats per minute. Before and after hibernation, its metabolism lowers to just 25 percent of normal, but it can still function normally during this transition period.
This newfound knowledge could eventually pave the way for technology that would allow humans to hibernate as well. However, this remains a distant possibility, as we still don’t understand how their brain functions with so little oxygen, or how they manage to preserve their muscle and bone mass without moving for months at a time.
4. Age
Bears typically live up to 30 years in captivity, and slightly less in the wild. However, some individual bears can live much longer. The oldest known wild bear, a female black bear in Minnesota, lived to be 36, while the oldest recorded bear is a famous Greek bear named Andreas, who reached the impressive age of 50 before passing away in the Nymfaio wildlife sanctuary.
A bear’s age can be easily determined, as their tooth roots form annual rings, much like trees. After a bear dies, a microscope examination of its canine tooth can provide a remarkably accurate estimate of its age.
3. Attacks On Humans
Bears, in general, are not particularly interested in attacking humans. To them, we are just loud creatures with an odd scent and strange body language. In most encounters, the bear is likely just as startled as the human and simply trying to avoid us. It’s crucial to understand if the bear is saying, “Please leave, this is my territory,” or “I haven’t eaten in days, and you look tasty.” Bears value their personal space and use various ways to communicate their discomfort, ranging from a slow, cautious approach to sudden mock attacks that stop just before contact. There are numerous online guides available that explain how to respond to these signals properly.
When a bear is actually intent on attacking, the situation is much more dire. It typically means the bear is frightened, provoked, or extremely hungry, with humans becoming a potential food source. Fatal bear attacks are rare but do occur occasionally. In the past century, American black bears have killed at least 63 people. However, even the hungriest bears tend to avoid humans and can sometimes be discouraged. For example, one woman managed to chase a hungry polar bear off her porch simply by hitting it with a broom. The bear fled and never returned.
2. Speed
Bears may appear large and clumsy, but they are surprisingly fast. Brown and grizzly bears can reach speeds of nearly 48.3 kph (30 mph) and can maintain that pace for about 400 meters (1,300 feet). If they switch to a slower but still impressive “rolling lope,” which can easily outrun a horse in the wild, they can keep going for up to 3.2 kilometers (two miles).
For comparison, the fastest human, Usain Bolt, can reach a top speed of 44.72 kph (27.79 mph), but he can only sustain that for about 20 meters (21.9 yards).
1. Bear Worship
Bears have been a part of human history for centuries, and their sheer size, strength, and ability to stand on two feet like humans have earned them deep respect. In many cultures, this respect evolved into full-on worship. Known as arctolatry, the practice of bear worship dates back to the Paleolithic era. It was most common in regions with large bear populations, including North America, Europe, and parts of Asia.
The Sami people of Siberia both hunted bears and considered them sacred. To avoid angering the bear's spirit, they held a special post-hunt feast ceremony. This was done to ensure the bear’s spirit wouldn’t seek revenge. Many cultures across the world have had their own rituals honoring the mighty animal, often combining the act of hunting with a deep respect for its spirit.
This long-standing reverence for bears has left its mark on our culture. When you stop to think about it, bears are truly everywhere. They appear in heraldic symbols, star constellations have been named after them, books and poems have been written in their honor, and even cities like Berlin and Bern (capitals of Germany and Switzerland) bear their names and symbols.
