/r/bears

Photograph via snooOG

This is the home to all eight species of bears - American Black Bears, Brown Bears, Polar Bears, Asiatic Black (Moon) Bears, Sun Bears, Sloth Bears, Giant Pandas, and Spectacled (Andean) Bears.

"Bears are made of the same dust as we, and breathe the same winds and drink of the same waters. A bear's days are warmed by the same sun, his dwellings are overdomed by the same blue sky, and his life turns and ebbs with heart-pulsings like ours, and was poured from the same First Fountain. And whether he at last goes to our stingy heaven or no, he has terrestrial immortality. His life not long, not short, knows no beginning, no ending."

~ John Muir


What kind of bear is best?

This is the home to all eight species of bears - American Black Bears, Brown Bears, Polar Bears, Asiatic Black (Moon) Bears, Sun Bears, Sloth Bears, Giant Pandas, and Spectacled (Andean) Bears.


Read our Community Rules!

Be excellent to one another, be respectful, be kind, be one with the bears.


Set your own flair by clicking (edit flair) next to your username!


Information

Useful Resources


Did You Know?

Six species of bears are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, even the least concern species, Brown Bears, are at risk of extirpation in some countries.

Find out how you can help!


Some Bear Videos


Bear Subreddits

Related Subreddits

/r/bears

49,089 Subscribers

16

"It's going to be a long day. What are you packing?" "Nothing but the BEAR essentials..."

0 Comments
2024/03/01
08:24 UTC

33

Happy International Polar Bear Day! Learn about the first few months of a cub's life.

1 Comment
2024/02/27
21:18 UTC

29

Top Mom & Cub Fact #4: Cubs have to learn all about being a polar bear in just over two years.

3 Comments
2024/02/27
04:44 UTC

34

Top Mom & Cub Fact #5: Female polar bears start a new family about every three years.

1 Comment
2024/02/26
17:33 UTC

33

Top Mom & Cub Fact #6: The first years of a polar bear’s life are the most vulnerable.

3 Comments
2024/02/25
18:10 UTC

24

Studies have shown that administering pain medication like morphine to salmon reduces their avoidance to painful stimuli, suggesting it alleviates pain and allows them to tolerate it better. This mirrors the effects of painkillers in other animals.

8 Comments
2024/02/25
08:03 UTC

58

Fish on the Rocks [OC][BC][@bodkinsbestphotography]

2 Comments
2024/02/22
00:00 UTC

10

Question about possibly a bear

So Im in south east Va, and right now its in the 60s in the day and 30s or 20s, and its mid February. At night around 7 or 8 I go outside for a little bit and I hear what sounds like big branches breaking like a bear is walking around or something, this is my first time hearing something like that, and its coming from the woods about 100 yards away I think. I assume its a bear, Ive seen bear poop around and Ive heard people say that theyve seen one or two arund before but I never have. Could it be bears?

(I wasent able to post this in r/nature or r/wildlife so Im sorry if this is the wrong sub).

5 Comments
2024/02/19
01:57 UTC

7

The conditions of the animals in Bearizona, William AZ

I'm planning a trip to the park, but am wondering if the animals have it good there - so if I should support the park or not.

When I search for "animal wellfare Bearizona" a bunch of headline from 10 years ago come up. One source, e.g., states:

"Bearizona’s problems include:

·       In 2017, the USDA cited for Bearizona for improper storage of food and bedding and repeated failure to maintain enclosure in good repair to protect animals from injury and/or escape.[iv]

·       In 2016, the USDA issued an Official Warning against Bearizona for causing an animal trauma and harm, for failing to provide adequate veterinary care, and for an enclosure in disrepair.[v]

·       In 2016, the USDA issued a critical citation against Bearizona for insufficient perimeter fencing after an animal, presumably a cougar, entered the facility and killed a Dall lamb. In an earlier inspection, the USDA cited Bearizona for a handling violation after a Dall sheep was killed by a male goat after an employee left a gate open.[vi]

·       In 2015, the USDA cited Bearizona for failure to dispose of expired medications, enclosures in disrepair that could cause injury to animals, and filthy drinking water.[vii]

·       In 2014, Bearizona was cited repeatedly by the USDA for failure to provide adequate veterinary care to sick animals.[viii],[ix]

·       In 2014, Bearizona in Arizona was cited by the USDA for allowing an unqualified employee to administer anesthesia to an otter"

https://911animalabuse.com/bearizona-sean-and-dennis-casey/ (a reliable source?)

(Edit:spelling)

1 Comment
2024/02/18
16:06 UTC

15

Recommendation on a book about bears for little kids who are obsessed with bears.

My sister has a few young kids (4 yo to 8 yo) who absolutely love everything about bears. For most kids this would be the dinosaurs faze, but for them it is bears. If they loved dinosaurs I wold get them a book like this

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Dinosaurs-illustrations-photographs/dp/B00B1L92D8

Full of pictures and (a few) words about each dinosaur. Is there a similar book but for bears?

13 Comments
2024/02/17
19:49 UTC

75

Look up. Waaaay up. [OC][@bodkinsbestphotography][BC]

2 Comments
2024/02/13
15:17 UTC

69

That Stare...[OC][@bodkinsbestphotography][BC]

4 Comments
2024/02/09
18:27 UTC

119

This moon bear has a bread cube

Sergei Savostyanov (Getty Images)

3 Comments
2024/02/08
19:20 UTC

114

Icy bear

2 Comments
2024/02/08
15:42 UTC

3

Does anyone have a link of this polar vs grizzly encounter? Like the whole encounter not the 2 seconds of this stupid video

Post other polar vs grizzly encounters too if you have them

1 Comment
2024/02/07
01:28 UTC

28

What’s your favorite bear video/source of videos?

I love watching videos of bears playing in the snow and ones where I can hear bears vocalizing. I also like videos that show how fast they can run.

Unless I use a search phrase like “cute bears,” though, l get a lot of results featuring bear attacks/hunters with dead bears. I’m wondering if there are trail/zoo cams with audio so I can listen to the sounds they make when they’re just chilling and doing bear things.

17 Comments
2024/02/06
15:22 UTC

24

Ethical concerns of Vince Shute?

Hi all,

I hope this is the right sub. I have some serious concerns with Vince Shute wildlife sanctuary and I am looking for advice on where to turn to. My GF did an internship over the summer and it was a disaster. She left after a week because she was so concerned for her safety. She also believes what they are doing is not ethical. Here’s is a list of issues she had

  1. The cabin she stayed in had a flimsy door that a bear could easily break if they wanted to. Food was also allowed in the cabins by her supervisors. Her young roommates brought food because the supervisors assured them it was safe.

  2. Employees were very laid back about safety. Bluff charges were treated as jokes and being scared was laughed at. Supervisors saw the safety protocols as a burden and unnecessary.

  3. They got special permission to feed these bears because the founder was feeding them decades ago and they are afraid they can’t survive without being fed. However, scientists have disputed this and the population has gotten out of hand.

  4. The bears destroyed one girls car and my gf was told they are not responsible for damage.

  5. My gf brought a saftey whistle and was made fun of for wearing a saftey whistle and was told to take it off

  6. Bear mace was said to be provided, but it’s not on your person, it’s in random locations throughout the forest on trees. You may not be close to mace if you were getting attacked.

  7. A bear broke into a a building with another intern. The intern got an air horn to scare the bear and it was broken because it was so old. The mace didn’t work either. She got out but god forbid.

  8. The schedule was not disclosed until she got there. 6 days a week 10 hour days as an unpaid intern.

  9. They feed the bears oats and peanut butter. Doesn’t seem very nutritional. They also make the interns make the food in a building with no light or electricity.

  10. The Native American tribe nearby also believes Vince Shute is unethical. They have seen rising bear populations in their territory and feeding the bears is making it worse.

That isn’t even all of the concerns. I get an internship is not supposed to be a luxury vacation, but this seems insane. This place seems like they are only in it for the tourist money and donations. I think this place should be shut down. Where can I reach out to express my concerns? Someone is going to get hurt

9 Comments
2024/02/05
03:39 UTC

70

What Do You Mean Winter's Not Finished? [BC][@bodkinsbestphotography]

1 Comment
2024/02/04
08:14 UTC

65

Follow up to 4 cubs video - later in the season - /glowups

0 Comments
2024/02/03
17:39 UTC

125

Coastal Brown Bear cubs- AK

Common to see twins or the occasional triplet set of cubs but this group of 4 was fun to watch grow up for 2 months. This sow was one of the most tolerant in the valley that year.

13 Comments
2024/02/01
19:32 UTC

57

Tried 60FPS Video Of A Bear Dinner [OC][Vancouver][@bodkinsbestphotography]

4 Comments
2024/02/01
02:00 UTC

83

First Step On The Road To Sushi [OC][BC][@bodkinsbestphotography] Hold The Wasabi

3 Comments
2024/01/28
02:43 UTC

153

regular bear activity

10 Comments
2024/01/26
14:47 UTC

31

A bear I encounter on my last kayaking trip!

9 Comments
2024/01/22
19:33 UTC

50

Never too cold for a drink

7 Comments
2024/01/19
20:09 UTC

195

Wanna play?

14 Comments
2024/01/18
13:12 UTC

155

Sun bears are too silly to be real

5 Comments
2024/01/15
15:22 UTC

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