WHY GRIZZLY BEARS NEED OUR HELP Grizzly bears are large brown bears that live in North America They are powerful animals but they still need our help Grizzlies once lived in a large area of western North America from Alaska south to Mexico Today grizzlies remain in Alaska and Canada South of Canada less than 1,500 remain in the United States Even fewer remain in Mexico 4 A female grizzly bear called a sow cuddles her cubs
5 Grizzlies are being crowded out by people They have less land to live on A U S agency put grizzlies on a list of endangered species in the 1970s The animals are considered threatened in the United States In Mexico however they are endangered In the United States people were not al lowed to hunt the bears People also helped to save their habitat As a result the grizzly population grew Many people think grizzlies still need our help though The bears still face threats to their survival WHY GRIZZLY BEARS NEED OUR HELP Endangered species are plants and animals at risk of dying out Vocabulary Bears have less food and shelter when people build in places where the bears live
6 Grizzlies may have light tan to dark brown fur They are called grizzly bears because their long back fur sometimes has white tips This makes them look grizzled or streaked with gray in the sun A large adult grizzly may weigh about 900 pounds 410 kilograms and be about 8 feet 2 5 meters long Adult males are heavier and larger than adult females Grizzly bears can stand up on their hind legs They WHAT GRIZZLY BEARS LOOK LIKE Grizzlies like this sleeping four-year-old have long thick back fur
7 WHAT GRIZZLY BEARS LOOK LIKE often do this to see hear or smell better They also may stand when attacked Grizzlies have large shoulder muscles and extra-long claws on their front feet to help them dig Their claws are at least 2 inches 5 centimeters long Black bears are sometimes confused with grizzlies because they can be brown and found in some of the same areas Why is this a problem for people counting bear populations Compare and Contrast A grizzly bear is faster on four legs but standing helps it locate food or scare other animals
