November 16, 2009 | 1 comments

Grizzly Details: Salmon Collapse Could Be Bad News for Bears [Slide Show]

Scientists are collecting hairs from live bears to prevent population declines as a result of decreases in a principal food source: salmon

By Anne Casselman

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GRIZZLY GLUTTONY

Grizzly bears have perfected the art of hyperphagia, another word for overeating. "I've seen one bear catch and eat most of 23 salmon in an hour and 29 minutes," says Barrie Gilbert, a retired wildlife biologist from Utah State University in Logan. And that bear will go on to feed for 10 hours at a time. Here, before and after photos of grizzlies in Alaska's Brooks Range show just how much weight they pack on in the months leading up to hibernation.

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Grizzly Details: Salmon Collapse Could Be Bad News for Bears [Slide Show]

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