The Bears form the most important family of the “Plantigrade Carnivora.” The sole of the foot is very wide, and the whole surface touches the ground in walking. They are very strong and can easily crush a man to death in their arms. Different members of the family live in various parts of the globe. They eat almost any kind of food, and many of them prefer a vegetable diet; very few of them will kill a man or an animal simply for the sake of food, unless necessity compels them. But they will defend themselves vigorously when attacked, and in spite of their heaviness and their slow motions, they prove very quick and fierce at such times. They can easily overtake a man in running, and most of them climb trees easily.
Bears can stand upright on their hind legs longer than almost any other animal, and they usually take this position when they fight.
In eating, Bears sit down like Dogs, and taking up the food in their paws raise it to their mouths.
When caught young, the Bear may be easily tamed, and its gentle nature enables it to learn many amusing tricks, but it will not often show off these tricks without first expressing its unwillingness by deep growling, and it often gets very angry during the training.
The best known varieties of Bears are the Brown Bear of Europe, the Grizzly and the Black Bear of America, the Syrian Bear, the White or Polar Bear, the Sloth Bear and Malay Bear and the Bornean Bear.
Although their native homes are in America, Europe and Asia (it is uncertain whether any exist in Africa) they are mainly found in the northern regions as they do not like the heat; and when they are found in temperate or warm climates, they generally live in the lofty mountain ridges.
The Brown Bear leads a lonely life in the dark pine forests, and the deep gorges or on the highest mountain ridges. It makes its den in caverns, on clefts of the rocks, or in the hollow of some giant old tree. It generally sleeps during the day and seeks its food at night. It feeds on the nuts of the beech, and many kinds of wild fruits and berries, preferring those that are slightly sour, and also seeds, vegetables and roots. It is very fond of honey, strawberries and grapes and will travel many miles to procure these delicacies, and it is especially fond of a swarm of ants, which it likes on account of their acid taste.
In the lofty region in which it lives, when all these kinds of food fail, it makes its way down to some of the lower valleys, and ravages the fields of wheat, oats, etc., and any flesh food that it may find, especially a carcass of some dead animal. When very hungry it will often go many miles from home to seek its vegetable or to kill its animal food if necessary, but at dawn it never fails to return to its own home.
This Bear is very cautious, and if it gets into trouble it is not because of want of care. It has very keen sight and smell and hearing, and whenever it goes into a new neighborhood to search for food, it will first climb to the top of some small tree, and explore the surrounding space, both by sight and smell. It very seldom enters a trap, and if it finds a carcass, it will examine it very carefully before attempting to drag it away and eat it.
When it becomes necessary to kill animals for food, it prefers a sheep or a goat. It will seldom attack cows, although it has been known to lay in wait for these near their drinking places, and when it has sprung on the back of one, it seizes it by the nape of the neck, biting and tearing it until it bleeds to death. Then, after devouring part of it, the Bear carries off the remainder.
The Brown Bear is an easy tempered animal, and is cruel only from necessity. It is happy and comic in its ways. But when it is attacked or wounded or suddenly disturbed in its sleep, or when its cubs are in peril, this bear becomes a dangerous foe.
The Collared Bear and the American Black Bear are somewhat peculiar in their nature and habits.
The Ringed, Collared, or Siberian Bear owes its name to a large white ring which surrounds its shoulders and fades away on the chest. The Siberian Bear is much more formidable than the European variety. In the gloomy and cold countries which it inhabits, the vegetation is not sufficient to satisfy its appetite; it must therefore, fall back upon some kind of animal food. It will also feed on fish, which it catches cleverly, and on carcasses thrown on the seashore. It hunts the Reindeer, and will often attack man. The inhabitants of Kamtschatka wage a war of extermination against this animal.
The American Black Bear, on the contrary, is naturally one of the least offensive animals. It has little taste for flesh. Even when hungry, if a choice is offered between animal food and fruit, it does not hesitate in selecting the vegetable substance. It swims well, and is fond of fish, which it catches skillfully. It seldom attacks man, unless it is hunted; as a rule, it prefers seeking safety in flight. It principally makes its abode in the hollows of firs and pines, selecting the holes which are the highest. Under these circumstances, the Americans capture it by setting fire to the foot of the tree. This animal is hunted with great activity, not only to put an end to its depredations in the corn-fields, but also for the sake of its flesh, fat, and fur; the latter is used for many purposes. The hams of the American Bear, when salted and smoked, have a high reputation both in the United States and Europe.
Grizzly Bear and Buffaloes.
The Grizzly Bear is a native of North America, and has been found near 61 degrees north latitude, and as far as Mexico to the south. It is exceedingly formidable on account of its great strength and ferocity. It overpowers even the American Bison, and has been seen to drag along a carcass a thousand pounds in weight.
These bears vary considerably in color; the young are darker than the older specimens. The feet are armed with long curved claws, those on the fore-feet being larger than the hind ones. The Grizzly Bear can dig with ease, and is able when young to ascend trees.
It usually inhabits swampy, well-covered spots among trees and bushes, and here it makes its lair. It prowls forth both by night and day, and is more carnivorous than the Black Bear, but in the latter part of summer seeks eagerly for the fruits which then abound; it prefers, however, the flesh of animals, and will partially bury a carcass for future supply, after having feasted upon its best parts.
Townsend, in the “Narrative of a Journey across the Rocky Mountains,” gives the following account of an adventure with a Grizzly Bear on a small stream running down a valley covered with quagmires:
“As we approached our encampment near a small grove of willows on the margin of the river, a tremendous Grizzly Bear rushed out upon us. Our horses ran wildly in every direction, snorting with terror, and became nearly unmanageable. Several balls were instantly fired into him, but they only seemed to increase his fury. After spending a moment in rending each wound (their invariable practice), he selected the person who happened to be nearest, and darted after him, but before he proceeded far he was sure to be stopped again by a ball from another quarter.
“In this way he was driven about among us for fifteen minutes, at times so near some of the horses that he received several severe kicks from them. One of the pack-horses was fastened upon by the brute, and in the terrified animal’s efforts to escape the dreaded gripe, the pack and saddle were broken to pieces and disengaged. One of our mules also gave him a kick in the head, which sent him rolling to the bottom. Here he was finally brought to a stand. The poor animal was now so surrounded by enemies, that he was completely bewildered. He raised himself upon his hind-feet, standing almost erect, his mouth partly open; and from his protruding tongue the blood fell in fast drops. While in this position he received about six more balls, each of which made him reel. At last, in complete desperation, he rushed into the water and swam several yards with astonishing strength and agility, the guns cracking at him constantly. But he was not to proceed far. Just then, Richardson, who had been absent, rode up, and fixed his deadly aim upon him, fired a ball into the back of his head, which killed him instantly.
“The strength of four men was required to drag the ferocious brute from the water; upon examining his body, he was found completely riddled; there did not appear to be four inches of his shaggy person, from the hips upward, that had not received a ball. There must have been at least thirty shots made at him, and probably few missed him; yet such was his tenacity of life that I have no doubt he would have succeeded in crossing the river, but for the last shot in the brain. He would probably weigh at the least six hundred pounds, and was about the height of an ordinary steer. The spread of the foot laterally was ten inches, and the claws measured seven inches in length. This animal was remarkably lean. When in good condition he would doubtless much exceed in weight the estimate given.”
When driven by hunger, the Grizzly Bear is especially fierce and daring in seeking his prey, and (as our illustration shows on page 35) will even approach a herd of Buffalo and attack a straying calf. He has fallen upon this young Buffalo which has foolishly wandered apart from the herd, and thrown him down. Directly will the Grizzly tear his prey upon whose body his powerful fore paws are placed, when he is interrupted in an unwelcome manner. The anguished bellowing and bleating of the fallen animal have been heard by the distant feeding herd, and the old Buffalos come immediately, their great, clumsy, heavy bodies storming along with startling swiftness to punish the Bear for his bloody deed. He sees that he must for the time being postpone his feast and prepare to protect himself against the approaching attacking party of whom especially the foremost steer, with colossal head sunk low, jaws foaming and tail thrown up, presents a vivid picture of ungovernable strength and fury. The outcome of the battle can not be doubtful to us. Although the Grizzly could easily capture a single Buffalo, his great strength can avail nothing against the whole herd of these great animals. The Bear, who is a swift runner, must either seek safety in flight, or find his end under the horns of his opponents.
POLAR BEARS.
The Polar Bear is a very distinct species, easily recognized by its long, flat head, as well as by the white color and smoothness of its fur. It is an inhabitant of the frozen shores of the northern hemispheres, and semi-aquatic in its habits, swimming and diving with the utmost ease and facility, for the purpose of capturing Seals, young Whales and Fish, upon which it principally feeds; nevertheless, even this animal is not altogether carnivorous, but feeds greedily on vegetable substances whenever they can be procured.
The Seal, however, is his favorite food; and Captain Lyon, in the following passage, describes the mode in which he captures this animal: “The Bear, on seeing his intended prey, gets quietly into the water and swims to the leeward of him, from whence, by frequent short dives, he silently makes his approaches, and so arranges the distance that, at the last dive, he comes to the spot where the Seal is lying. If the poor animal attempts to escape by rolling into the water, he falls into the Bear’s clutches; if, on the contrary, he lies still, his destroyer makes a powerful spring, kills him on the ice, and devours him at his leisure.”
The Polar Bear is seldom seen far inland, but frequents the fields of ice, and swims to icebergs—often at a great distance from the shore. Captain Sabine saw one half-way between the north and south shores of Barrow’s Straits, although there was no ice within sight.
The Polar Bear is found further north than any other quadruped, having been seen by Captain Parry beyond 82 degrees north latitude.
In illustration of the affection of the mother Bear for her young, Captain Scoresby relates the following anecdote: “A mother Bear with her two cubs were pursued on the ice by some of the men, and were so closely approached as to alarm the mother for the safety of her offspring.
“Finding that they could not advance with the desired speed, she used various artifices to urge them forward, but without success. Determined to save them if possible, she ran to one of her cubs, placed her nose under it, and threw it forward as far as possible; then going to the other, she performed the same action, and repeated it frequently until she had thus conveyed them to a considerable distance. The young Bears seemed perfectly conscious of their mother’s intention; for, as soon as they recovered their feet after being thrown forward, they immediately ran on in the proper direction, and when the mother came up to renew the effort, the little rogues uniformly placed themselves across her path, that they might feel the full advantage of the force exerted for their safety.”
Doubtless, much of the ferocity of the Polar Bear is to be attributed to the barrenness of the regions which it inhabits, the absence of vegetation obliging it to attack animals to supply its craving appetite. Its domain includes all those solitudes which surround the arctic pole—Greenland, Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla, &c. Over these vast ice-fields it reigns supreme.
In the summer time, when the White Bears betake themselves to the forests farther inland, they attack the Mammals which are natives of these regions, especially Reindeer.
Most mariners who have been detained by the ice in the polar seas have had frequent encounters with White Bears. Instances have been known in which they pursued them into their vessels, even endeavoring to make their way into cabins at night through the port-holes.
The White Bear is terrible in its attack. Accustomed, as it is, to meet with little or no resistance, and not even suspecting danger, it rushes upon Man with a blind fury and determination too often fatal in their results.
It is not an uncommon thing for White Bears to drift out to sea on floating icebergs, when they become reduced to the most frightful distress from hunger. Fatally confined to their icy raft, and utterly devoid of all means of subsistence, they ultimately attack and devour one another.
The White or Polar Bear often attains a length of nine feet. Its huge limbs and powerful claws are developed in fitting proportion to the massive body; and the soles of its feet are clad with hair, enabling it to tread with safety on the slippery ice floes, where it finds a home. Purely carnivorous in its diet, the Polar Bear subsists chiefly on the Seals it contrives to trap by watching their breathing holes patiently for hours, or it may be for days together. The fur is of a dirty-white hue, inclining towards a yellowish-brown tint in the young. When the Seals are scarce, these Bears will welcome the carcase of a Whale which has floated beyond the recall of the whaler.
The instinct which prompts the Esquimau to feed upon a fatty diet rich in carbon, by way of providing in his body a heat-producing basis, also leads the Bear to choose his food in the fat and blubber of the Seals and Walruses of his seas. Dr. Robert Brown, in his remarks in the “Mammals of Greenland,” tells us that he has seen upwards of twenty Polar Bears feeding on the huge inflated carcase of a Whale in Pond’s Bay, on the western shores of Davis’s Strait.
The Polar Bear is hunted by the Esquimau chiefly by means of Dogs. Its flesh, however, is not very desirable. In fact, some parts of the body of the Polar Bear, such as the liver, are said to possess poisonous qualities. Scoresby relates cases of illness, and even death, which have followed upon eating the liver of this animal.
The “nennok,” as the Esquimau terms the Polar Bear, is unusually regarded as a fierce and predatory animal. When irritated, or at bay, and when pressed by hunger, this Bear, like every other animal, will become dangerous. It does not grip or “hug” its enemy, but bites him.
This strange specimen of the Bear family differs from all the others by its extended lips, and a tongue of remarkable length. It is a native of India and feeds mainly on vegetables.
The Sloth Bear is often classed with the Borean and Malay Bears, which are natives of Malacca and the Borean Isles, and which climb trees readily and feed chiefly on fruits. These are all alike in their desire for vegetable diet and will not eat flesh except when forced to it, and they are all easily tamed and soon learn numerous tricks.
These Bears are sometimes made prisoners in rather a ludicrous manner. The natives fill a little barrel with honey and brandy, and lay it in some place to which the Bear often resorts. The attraction of the sweet liquor is so great, that Mr. Bruin not only indulges himself, but often brings Mrs. B. and all the little B.’s to partake of the delicacy; the whole party eat and drink till the spirit does its work; they then caper and dance about for a time, as if demented, and at length fall asleep, and become an easy prey to their captors.