Bear in Tree Stump Hand Puppet

Fun Facts for Kids

• Brown bears use their claws to dig comfortable caves, where they spend the winter. As they enter a dormant state, their heartbeats drop to 10 beats per minute.
• Female Brown bears give birth during the winter, being asleep. Newborn cubs feed upon maternal milk and warm in the fur of their mother until spring comes, and the female wakes up to see her babies.
• The Brown bear is the national animal of Finland.
• The Brown bear is also a European Protected Species, having protection in the countries of the European Union.
• These animals are highly intelligent: they use tools in their daily life from hunting to playing; they have a large brain, compared to their body size; they have a good memory and excellent navigation skills.
• In some early civilizations, these animals were a symbol of strength, power, or love.
• They are able to smell cubs, a mate, predators, or food from as far as miles away. In addition, they have excellent eyesight, which helps them identify ripe fruits.

The Brown bear (Ursus arctos) is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of Brown bears are called Grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is known as the Kodiak bear.  Grizzly bears have thick coats, varying in color from black to brown and blonde. The guard hair is longer, sometimes having white tips, which gives them a grizzled appearance. The Brown bear is recognized as a national and state animal in several European countries.