Maintenance and breeding of brown bears. Brown bear and its varieties: interesting facts about forest giants

1. The habitats of the brown bear are almost everywhere. It can be seen in Asia and Europe, as well as in North America.

2. The genus of bears appeared 5-6 million years ago. Its first representative is currently considered to be the bear Ursus minimus, a relatively small animal whose fossil remains were found in France.

3.Looks Brown bear very impressive and original: a huge powerful body with a high proud withers, his head is very large, but his eyes and ears are small.

4. The life span of a bear can be up to thirty years. True, according to verified data, there was one bear who lived in captivity with a farmer for 47 years. But this fact is unique.

5. Recently, quite often bears can be observed in the taiga, among old coniferous trees, rivers and near swamps.

6. The paws of bears are very powerful. They have huge claws, the length of which reaches a length of up to twenty centimeters.

7. Bears have very good eyesight, but their hearing and sense of smell are even better. Therefore, they can easily notice their prey and hear its approach.

8. North America is considered the "bear continent". A third of all bears live there.

9. Bears rarely attack people, considering them to be an unusual animal with unusual manners and gestures.

10. Since 1994, an exhibition of Teddy bears has been held annually in Münster.

11. The color of the fur, as well as the size, depends on its habitat and has a color from light brown to black.

12. Depending on where the brown bear lives, its rather large size and original appearance change.

13. All types of bears are incredibly smart. These animals are very inquisitive, always trying to explore new and unusual objects, have a very good memory.

14.Most fast way to determine the intentions of bears - observation of hair on the scruff. Of all wild animals, bears are closest to humans in their psychology.

15. The word "bear" is common Slavic, meaning "eats honey." The bear is one of those lucky ones that a person learns about from the cradle. It seems that there is not a single animal about which so many stories and fairy tales have been composed.

16. The brown bear is a fickle animal. In one place he eats, in another he sleeps, and for mating he can move away from his usual habitat for several kilometers.

17. The largest and most powerful bears live in Alaska and Kamchatka. The weight of these bears reaches 300-350 kilograms.

18. Bears can run forty kilometers per hour. If we compare it with a man, then the fastest and hardiest person can run at a speed of twenty kilometers per hour.

19. The vision of bears is as good as that of humans, and their sense of smell and hearing are much better developed.

20. Malayan bears are the smallest species of this animal.

21. The cult of the bear existed among the Slavs and Germans, among the indigenous peoples northern Urals, Siberia and the Far East. The Mansi, Kets and Nivkhs had a common idea of ​​a bear as an ancestor of people, in connection with which, the animal was especially revered.

22. The color of the bear's coat is uniform, the fur is very thick. By the way, bears have two layers of wool: one is short, it retains and holds heat, the other is long, it protects the bear's skin from water.

23. Bears are very smart, having found a trap with bait in the forest, they roll stones there so that the trap slams shut, and they themselves take the bait and eat it.

24. The bear eats in a variety of ways: plant, animal food, loves fish very much. Bears often destroy anthills, get larvae and eat them. The bear loves vegetable food very much: it feeds on wild garlic, thistle, and when berries appear, it eats lingonberries, blueberries, and raspberries with pleasure. Bears love ripe oats, they also actively consume nuts, acorns, apples. The bear loves to spend time in the meadow, eating grass like a cow or a horse: he plucks the grass with his paw and sends it into his mouth.

25. Bears feel very good in the water, swim well and can catch fish with their paws for food. Therefore, they prefer to live in old forests with the obligatory presence of a river in them.

26. The brown bear marks his possessions. He alone can hunt here. He marks the borders in a special way, tearing the bark from the trees. In areas without plantings, a bear can peel off objects that are in its field of vision - stones, slopes.

27. The life of brown bears is to search for food, especially before hibernation. Before falling asleep, the animal diligently confuses its tracks: it walks through the swamps, winds, circles and even goes backwards.

28. The closest relatives of bears are foxes, dogs, wolves.

29. Bears are called clubfoot because they rely on either 2 left paws or 2 right paws. At the moment of their walking, it seems that they are waddling over.

30. Omnivorousness and endurance are the main qualities that help this beast survive in difficult conditions. In the diet of a brown bear, 75% is plant food.

31. The life of a brown bear living in Russia begins in a den, where newborn cubs (blind, toothless and almost hairless, weighing about 500 grams) feed on their mother's fatty milk.

32. At the age of four months, wild bears can already follow their mother into the forest in search of food. Mother bear during this period, feeds them with milk and teaches them the right way. social behavior. Bear cubs spend almost half of their waking hours in games. So they know the world and develop important skills necessary for hunting. The rest of the time is spent in search of food and sleep.

33. When young, bears climb trees well. In old age, they do it reluctantly.

34. Finally, the cubs are separated from their mother at 3-4 years of age.

35. At the time of hibernation, all waste products in the body of a bear are reprocessed and converted into valuable proteins necessary for its existence. The rectum is closed by a dense cork, consisting of needles, compressed grass and wool. It is removed after the animal leaves the den.

Brown bear den

36. Throughout the winter, the brown bear sleeps on its side, comfortably curled up. Less common are postures on the back or sitting, with the head down. Breathing and heart rate slow down during sleep.

37 The clumsiness of bears is deceptive; when danger arises, they very easily gallop and can easily catch up with a person.

38. It's hard for a bear in the spring, after hibernation. At this time of the year, the bear hunts ungulates - roe deer or elk, and if there is not enough food for him, he can even eat carrion.

39. The bear's legs are crooked, thanks to this "defect", the bear can climb trees very well.

40. Bears are not susceptible to bee stings.

spectacled bear

41.B South America spectacled bears live.

412 Up to 20 kilograms of bamboo can be eaten by an adult panda at one time.

43. Usually a female bear gives birth every two years. Older cubs (mostly sisters) often look after the younger ones.

44. The following fact testifies to the mental abilities of brown bears: they know by memory everything in their vicinity, meadows with berries, fruits and mushrooms, and they know when they are ripe.

45. After restoring strength after a long sleep, brown bears are ready to mate. The rut begins in the spring, in May, and lasts about a month. Females announce their readiness for mating with a special secret that has a strong odor. According to these marks, males find their chosen ones and protect them from rivals.

46. ​​Back in ancient times, bears were depicted on coins. Approximately this happened in 150 BC.

47. During the mating season, bears are very dangerous. They make a wild roar and can attack a person.

48. A bear chooses a winter refuge with special care. For lairs, reliable calm places are chosen, located on the borders of swamps, in windbreaks, on the banks of rivers, in secluded caves. The shelter should be dry, warm, spacious and safe. The bear equips its den with moss, laying out a soft bedding from it. The shelter is masked and insulated with tree branches. Very often a bear has been using a good den for several years.

49. Before going into hibernation, the bear must gain the required amount of fat reserve. If it is not enough, the animal has to wander further in search of food. From this came the name - connecting rod.

50. Sometimes fierce battles arise between two bears for a female, in which the fate, and sometimes the life of one of them, is decided. In the event of the death of one of the males, the winner can even eat it.

Terrible brown bears are the majestic guardians of the forests. This beautiful animal is considered a symbol of Russia, although its numerous habitats can be found in all corners of our planet. Since the brown bear is in danger of extinction, it is listed in the Red Book. Basically, this animal lives in Russia, the USA and Canada. Not a large number of bears survived in Europe and Asia.

The lifestyle of this important "master of the taiga" is very interesting. How long does a brown bear live? How much weight can it reach? Most Interesting Facts we will tell about the life of the brown clubfoot in this article.

Brown bear: appearance description

This animal is very strong. The powerful body is covered with thick hair, and the withers stand out clearly on the back. It has accumulated a large number of muscles that allow the bear to inflict crushing blows with its paws, cut down trees or dig the ground.

His head is very large, with small ears and small, deep-set eyes. The tail of bears is short - about 2 cm, barely noticeable under a layer of wool. The paws are very strong, with large curved claws reaching a length of 10 cm. When walking, the bear evenly transfers the weight of the body to the entire sole, like a person, and therefore it belongs to the species of plantigrade animals.

The coat of the famous "master of the taiga" is very beautiful - thick, evenly colored. Brown bears have a tendency to molt - in spring and autumn they renew their fur coat. The first change of coat occurs immediately after hibernation and is very intense. Its manifestations are especially noticeable during the rut. Autumn molting proceeds slowly and continues until hibernation.

How long does a brown bear live?

The life expectancy of a clubfoot depends on its habitat. In the wild, a brown bear can reach an age of 20 to 35 years. If the animal is kept in a zoo, this figure almost doubles. In captivity, a bear can live up to 50 years. The onset of puberty occurs between the ages of 6 and 11 years.

The size and weight of the animal

The standard length of the torso of a clubfoot predator ranges from one to two meters. The largest bears live in Alaska, Kamchatka and Far East. These are grizzlies, true giants, whose growth when standing on hind legs reaches three meters.

The maximum weight of a bear (brown) can be 600 kg. These are real heavyweight giants. Average weight an adult male is at the level of 140-400 kg, and the weight of a female is 90-210 kg. The largest male was found on Kodiak Island. His body weight was enormous - 1134 kg. However, animals living in central Russia weigh much less - about 100 kg.

By autumn, this animal accumulates a large fat reserve for the upcoming hibernation, and therefore the weight of the bear (brown) increases by 20%.

habitats

Mostly bears live in dense forests, in swampy areas. Often they can be seen in the tundra or alpine forests. In Russia, this animal occupies remote northern regions. Brown bears are very common in Siberia. The calm forests of the taiga allow clubfoot to feel spacious and free, and nothing prevents their existence here.

In the USA, bears live mainly in open areas - on the coasts, alpine meadows. In Europe, they mainly live in dense mountain forests.

In Asia, brown bear populations can also be found. Their range covers small areas of Palestine, Iran, northern China and the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

What do bears eat?

Omnivorousness and endurance are the main qualities that help the beast survive in difficult conditions. In the diet of a brown bear, 75% is plant food. The clubfoot can eat tubers, nuts, berries, grass stalks, roots, and acorns. If this is not enough, the bear can go to the crops of oats or corn, feed in cedar forests.

Large individuals have remarkable strength and prey on small young animals. With just one blow of a huge paw, a bear can break the spine of an elk or deer. He hunts roe deer, wild boars, fallow deer, mountain goats. Without problems, brown bears can eat rodents, larvae, ants, frogs, worms and lizards.

Skillful fishermen and camouflage

Bears often feed on carrion. The clubfoot skillfully covers the found remains of animals with brushwood and tries to stay nearby until it completely eats its “find”. If the bear has eaten recently, it may wait a few days. After a while, the meat of the killed animal will become softer, and he will eat it with pleasure.

The most amazing occupation of bears is catching fish. They go to the Far Eastern spawning rivers, where salmon massively accumulate. Especially often she-bears with their offspring hunt here. The mother skillfully catches the salmon and takes it to her cubs.

At the same time, up to 30 bears can be seen on the river, which often fight for prey.

Behavior

The bear has a very developed sense of smell. He clearly feels the smell of decomposed meat, even being at a distance of 3 km from him. His hearing is also very well developed. Sometimes the bear stands up on its hind legs to listen for a sound or feel the direction of the smell of food.

How does a bear behave in nature? The brown "master of the taiga" begins to bypass his possessions at dusk or early in the morning. In bad weather or during rainy periods, he can wander through the forest all day long in search of food.

Speed ​​and agility are the hallmarks of the beast

At first glance, this huge animal seems very clumsy and slow. But it's not. The big brown bear is very agile and easy to move around. In pursuit of the victim, he can reach speeds of up to 60 km / h. The bear is also an excellent swimmer. He can easily cover a distance of 6-10 km on water and swims with pleasure on hot summer days.

Young bears nimbly climb trees. With age, this ability becomes a little dull, but does not disappear. However, deep snow is a difficult test for them, since the bear moves through it with great difficulty.

breeding season

Having regained strength after a long sleep, brown bears are ready to mate. The rut begins in the spring, in May, and lasts about a month. Females announce their readiness for mating with a special secret that has a strong odor. According to these marks, males find their chosen ones and protect them from rivals.

Sometimes fierce battles arise between two bears for a female, in which the fate, and sometimes the life of one of them, is decided. In the event of the death of one of the males, the winner can even eat it.

During the mating season, bears are very dangerous. They make a wild roar and can attack a person.

Reproduction of offspring

Exactly 6-8 months later, cubs are born in the den. Usually the female brings 2-4 cubs, completely bald, with underdeveloped organs of hearing and vision. However, after a month, the cubs' eyes open, and the ability to pick up sounds appears. Immediately after birth, the cubs weigh about 500 g, and their length reaches 25 cm. By 3 months, all the milk teeth erupt in the cubs.

Babies feed on their mother's milk for the first 6 months of their lives. Then berries, insects, greens are added to their diet. Later, the mother brings them fish or her prey. For about 2 years, babies live with their mother, learn habits, the subtleties of hunting, and hibernate with her. The independent life of a young bear begins at the age of 3-4 years. The father bear never takes part in the upbringing of the offspring.

Lifestyle

The brown bear is a fickle animal. In one place he eats, in another he sleeps, and for mating he can move away from his usual habitat for several kilometers. The young bear roams the area until he starts a family.

The brown master marks his possessions. He alone can hunt here. He marks the borders in a special way, tearing the bark from the trees. In areas without plantings, a bear can peel off objects that are in its field of vision - stones, slopes.

In summer, he can rest carelessly in open glades, lying down directly on the ground. The main thing is that this place is secluded and safe for the bear.

Why a rod?

Before hibernation, the bear must gain the required amount of fat reserves. If it is not enough, the animal has to wander further in search of food. From this came the name - connecting rod.

Moving in the cold season, the bear is doomed to death from frost, hunger or a hunter's gun. However, in winter you can meet not only connecting rod. Often a bear's sleep can simply be disturbed by humans. Then this well-fed beast is forced to seek a new shelter in order to again plunge into hibernation.

Finding a lair

The bear chooses this winter haven with special care. For lairs, reliable calm places are chosen, located on the borders of swamps, in windbreaks, on the banks of rivers, in secluded caves. The shelter should be dry, warm, spacious and safe.

The bear equips its den with moss, laying out a soft bedding from it. The shelter is masked and insulated with tree branches. Very often a bear has been using a good den for several years.

The life of brown bears is to search for food, especially before hibernation. Before falling asleep, the beast diligently confuses its tracks: it walks through the swamps, winds and even steps backwards.

Quiet and relaxing holiday

Bears sleep in a cozy den throughout the long frosty winter. Old males leave their shelter before anyone else. The she-bear with her offspring stays in the den longer than the others. Hibernation of brown bears lasts 5-6 months. It usually starts in October and ends in April.

Bears do not go into deep sleep. They remain sensitive and vital, they are easily disturbed. The body temperature of a bear during sleep is in the range of 29-34 degrees. During hibernation, little energy is consumed, and the clubfoot has enough of its fat reserve, acquired during active time. During winter holiday the bear loses about 80 kg of its weight.

Wintering features

All winter the bear sleeps on its side, comfortably curled up. Less common are postures on the back or sitting, with the head down. Breathing and heart rate slow down during sleep.

Surprisingly, this animal does not defecate during winter sleep. All waste products in the body of a bear are re-processed and converted into valuable proteins necessary for its existence. The rectum is closed by a dense cork, consisting of needles, compressed grass and wool. It is removed after the animal leaves the den.

Does the bear suck its paw?

Many people naively believe that during hibernation, the clubfoot extracts valuable vitamins from their limbs. But it's not. The fact is that in January there is a renewal of the skin on the paw pads of a bear. Old dry skin bursts and gives him severe discomfort. To somehow moderate this itching, the bear licks its paw, moisturizing and softening it with its saliva.

Dangerous and strong animal

The bear is first of all a predator, powerful and terrible. A chance meeting with this angry beast will not bring anything good.

Spring rut, winter search for a new shelter - during these periods, the brown bear is most dangerous. Descriptions or photographs of animals that live in nurseries and are friendly to people should not deceive you - they grew up there in completely different conditions. In nature, a seemingly calm beast can be cruel and easily blow your head off. Especially if you wandered into his territory.

Females with offspring should also be avoided. The mother is driven by instincts and aggression, so it is better not to get in her way.

Of course, the behavior of a clubfoot depends on the situation and time of year. Often the bears themselves run away when they see a person in the distance. But do not think that since this beast can eat berries and honey, this is his favorite food. The best food for a bear is meat, and he will never miss an opportunity to get it.

Why clubfoot?

This nickname has firmly stuck to the bear. And all from the fact that when walking, he steps alternately on the right and left paws. Therefore, from the side it seems that the bear is clubfoot.

But this slowness and clumsiness is deceptive. In the event of a dangerous situation, this beast instantly gallops and easily overtakes a person. The peculiarity of the structure of the front and hind legs allows him to show unprecedented agility when climbing uphill. He conquers peaks much faster than he descends from them.

It took more than one millennium to form such a complex system of habitat and life of this amazing animal. As a result, brown bears have gained the ability to survive in areas where severe climatic conditions. Nature is amazing, and one can only admire her wisdom and immutable laws that put everything in its place.

The common brown bear is a predatory mammal of the bear family. This large predator is considered one of the most dangerous. There are about 20 subspecies, which differ in habitat and appearance.

Appearance

All subspecies of the brown bear have a well-developed powerful body, a fairly large head with small eyes and rounded ears, and a high withers. The tail is not long (from 6.5 to 21 cm). Strong paws with powerful non-retractable claws up to 10 cm long, five-fingered feet, wide enough. Appearance subspecies differ significantly. Males are about one and a half times larger than females.

Dimensions

The individuals inhabiting Europe are the smallest, they reach two meters in length, with a mass of 200 kg. Brown bears living in central Russia are larger and weigh about 300 kg. The largest are grizzlies and Far Eastern bears, their length reaches three meters, and their weight reaches 500 kg or more.

Color

What a bear looks like, what color its skin is, depends on the habitat. There are bears from pale yellow to black with blue. Brown fur is considered standard.

Grizzlies of the Rocky Mountains have white on the tips on their backs, which creates a greyish tint. The brown bears living in the Himalayas have a completely grayish color, and those living in Syria have a light, brown-red skin.

Brown bears molt once a year, from spring to autumn. Share often spring molt and autumn. The spring molt is most intense during the rut and lasts quite a long time. Autumn flows almost imperceptibly and ends by the time the bears hibernate.

Lifespan

The life expectancy of a bear directly depends on the conditions in which it lives. How many years do bears live? Average life expectancy in wild nature under favorable conditions is 20-30 years.

How long does a brown bear live in captivity? With good care, brown bears reach the age of 45-50 years.

Subspecies

Population differences in the brown bear are very large, and previously they were divided into many certain types. Today, all browns have been combined into one species, with several subspecies. Consider the most common.

European (Eurasian) brown

A large powerful animal with a strongly pronounced hump.

Main characteristics:

• body length - 150-250 cm;
• weight - 150-300 kg;
• height at the withers - 90-110 cm.

The fur is yellowish-gray to dark brown, quite long and thick.

Caucasian brown

There are two forms of this subspecies - large and small.

Big Caucasian:

• body length - 185-215 cm;
• weight - 120-240 kg.

Small Caucasian:

• body length - 130-140 cm;
• weight - no more than 65 kg.

This subspecies combines external signs Syrian and European bears. Short coarse coat from light yellowish to brownish-gray. There is a dark spot in the withers area.

Siberian brown

One of the largest subspecies.

Its dimensions:

• body length - 200-250 cm;
• weight - 300-400 kg.

It has a large head, long and soft shiny coat from light brown to brown-brown. Some individuals have a yellowish or black tint in color.

Ussuri brown

Also known as Asian black grizzly or Amur.

• length - up to 2 m;
• weight - 300-400 kg.

It is distinguished by a developed skull with an elongated nose and a very dark, almost black skin. Long hair on round ears will also distinguish it from other subspecies.

Far Eastern (Kamchatka) brown

The largest subspecies found in Russia.

Its dimensions:

• length - up to 2.5 m;
• weight - 350-450 kg. Some males reach 500 kg or more.

This subspecies has a massive head with a rather short nose and a wide front elevated above it, small rounded ears. Dense, long and soft coat from fawn to blackish-brown. Nails dark up to 10 cm.

habitats

The brown bear inhabits almost the entire forest zone from the west of Russia and the forests of the Caucasus to Pacific Ocean. It can also be found in Japan on the island of Hokkaido, in some Asian countries, in Europe, Canada and in the northwestern states of America.

For life, he chooses forests, with windbreaks and shrubs, prefers coniferous forests. It can wander into the tundra or settle in high mountain forests, with an undergrowth of plants suitable for food.

The habitat is not tied to a specific place, often the places for feeding and the dwelling of the bear are located far from each other, and the bear has to make long transitions during the day.

Habits and lifestyle

The brown bear is a loner. Males live apart, and females raise cubs. Each adult individual has its own territory, the size of which can reach several hundred square kilometers. Males "own" much larger area than females. The boundaries of the territory are marked by scratches on the trees and the smell of the owner.

The habits of bears are typical of a predator. During the day, as a rule, animals rest, choosing for this secluded areas among grass or shrubs. They go in search of food in the morning or evening. Despite poor eyesight, bears are perfectly oriented with the help of smell and hearing.

Despite its impressive size and seeming sluggishness, this is a rather dexterous and fast animal, capable of climbing trees, swimming and running at speeds up to 60 km/h.

Nutrition

The diet of the brown bear is very diverse, because bears eat almost everything. Its main diet consists of plant foods: berries, nuts, acorns, stems, tubers and root parts of plants. If possible, he will not miss the opportunity to wander into the fields to feast on oats and corn. It also eats various insects, frogs, lizards and rodents.

Adults prey on young elk, fallow deer, deer, roe deer and wild boar. A large predator is able to break the ridge of its prey with one stroke of its paw, then hides the carcass, filling it with brushwood, and guards until it is completely eaten. For the Far Eastern brown, the main diet in the summer-autumn period is salmon, which goes to spawn.

With an insufficient food base, bears often ruin apiaries and attack livestock.

These animals have an amazing memory. Having found mushrooms or berries that bears eat in the forest, they remember the places and then easily find their way to them. The life expectancy of a brown bear in the wild largely depends on proper nutrition.

reproduction

How do bears breed? mating season starts in May and lasts a couple of months. The rut is active, accompanied by fights between males and a roar. After 6-8 months, cubs are born. Bear cubs are born in the middle of winter, when the bear hibernates.

Cubs are born weighing only 400-500 grams, blind, with sparse hair. As a rule, there are 2-4 cubs in a litter. For more than a year after birth, they feed mother's milk, but immediately after leaving the den, the mother begins to accustom them to various foods.

The cubs live with their mother for three or four years, then they separate and begin to live on their own. Females reach puberty in the third or fourth year, males develop 1-2 years longer.

hibernation

From the middle of summer and all autumn, bears are actively preparing for hibernation, feeding heavily and accumulating fat. The hibernation of a bear differs from the hibernation of other mammals, this is not suspended animation, but simply a sound sleep, during which neither the breathing nor the pulse of the animal practically changes. A bear in hibernation does not fall into a complete stupor.

Preparation

Shelters for the winter are arranged in deaf and dry places, under the roots of trees or under a windbreak. A clumsy can dig a lair on its own, or it can occupy a crevice in the mountains or a small cave. Pregnant females equip a spacious and deep lair, warming it from the inside with moss, foliage and spruce branches.

One-year-old bear cubs always spend the winter in their mother's den, and two-year-old lone bears often join them. Adult individuals lie in the den one at a time.

Hibernation duration

How long does a bear sleep? It all depends on weather conditions and other factors, the brown one can hibernate for up to six months.

The hibernation of a bear in winter and its duration depend on the weather, age, gender, state of health and the amount of fat gained during the summer-autumn period. So, for example, an old and fattening individual will go into hibernation long before the snow falls, and young individuals go to the den only in November or December. Pregnant females are the first to settle down for the winter.

Bear rod

A connecting rod is an animal that did not have time to accumulate the required amount of fat, which is why it cannot hibernate, and is forced to look for food all winter.

Why is a rod bear dangerous? In severe frosts, with an acute shortage of food, connecting rods often approach settlements in search of food. More than one case of connecting rod attacks on domestic animals and even humans is known.

Video

The Gobi brown bear is also called a mazalai. This animal is a subspecies of the brown bear and lives in the Mongolian Gobi Desert.

Mazalai are perhaps the only bears that can be found only on the territory of Mongolia. Nowhere else, in any zoo in the world, you will not see this species of clubfoot. IN International Fund The results of the registration of all bears were published - there are 56 subspecies of them. However, the Gobi Brown was not included in this list.

Description of the gobi bear

Gobi bears have relatively small size. Their coarse sparse fur is colored in light brown or whitish-bluish tones.

The chest, shoulder parts of the body and the throat are “threaded” with a white stripe. Bear claws are light. The second and third fingers on the hind legs are fused by almost a third. In the summer, the males of the mazalai have a brown coat, and in the winter they acquire a brown-gray color. Their legs and neck are darker than the body.

Lifestyle, nutrition and reproduction of the Mazalays

For wintering, Mazaalai settle in caves or make dens under trees. In summer, they can be more often seen near the water, where there are many plants that are part of the bear's diet. In addition, gobi bears like rhubarb roots, berries, wild onions and other plants that can be found in the desert. Sometimes clubfoot feed on carrion, rodents, birds, lizards or insects. Unlike other bears, Mazaalai are predominantly herbivores.

After mating, the female severely breaks up with the male, driving him out of her territory. Every two years, a mother bear gives birth to a pair of cubs. Each weighs approximately 500 grams. In harsh times, it was noticed that the female sacrificed one of the cubs for the sake of survival.

Protecting Gobi brown bears

Mazaalai was included in the endangered species of animals, since the number of these bears is very low, and this fact was noted in the national Red Book. The researchers were not too lazy to count the number of Mazalays on the territory of the “Great Gobi” and reported that no more than 30 bears remained.

The number of Gobi clubfoot has decreased so much that it is time to sound the alarm not only at the national, but also at the world level.

Limited by insufficient funding and extreme conditions in the Gobi desert, mazalai bears cannot be adequately studied by specialists, and as a result, a plan for developing their conservation activities has not been drawn up. However, thanks to the creation of a supplementary food base program initiated by the government in the 80s, it plays an important role in preserving a tiny population. gobi bears.

A group of scientists and employees of the reserve monitors the behavior of the Mazalays in their natural habitat, directly in the spring, when the bears come out of hibernation. During this period, animals need food. Food is left in special feeders until new vegetation grows. It is thanks to such data collection points in the form of feeders that it is possible to install remote-controlled cameras and study the behavior of the Mazalays.