Donald Malone Global zoologist! Bear Necessities! https://www.wildsidenature.com/

Wojtek What can you tell me about Wojtek Was he real? Where did he originally come from? How old was he when he joined the Polish regiment? Where did he end up? What type of bear was he?

Can you name any other famous Bears?

Bears have been a big feature in Human History The star constellation Ursa Major (Great Bear) and Ursa Minor (lesser Bear) were thought to have originally been identified in pre-history, so as long as records go back! They are still called this today!

Bears have even been found in ancient cave paintings in France!

Bears often appear on the crests of cities or tribes/clans throughout Europe. Here is a bear on the crest of Madrid, the capital city of Spain. It even makes it onto the crest of one of the big football teams from this city, Atleitco Madrid.

Bear or No Bear? No bear! It is actually more closely related to an anteater. Is a Sloth a bear?

Bear or No Bear? Is a Panda a bear? Yes a Panda is a bear!! However, it is quite a primitive form of bear and different from other bears! For a long time it was thought to be a type of Racoon, like the Red Panda!

Bear or No Bear? Is a Beaver a bear? No bear!! A beaver is a rodent, like bears though they were originally native to Scotland, but also like bears, they were hunted out for their fur and became extinct in the UK! However beavers have recently been reintroduced back to Scotland! Is a Beaver a bear?

Bear or No Bear? Is a Gorilla a bear? No bear!! A gorilla is an ape, and more closely related to people than bears! Gorillas are found in Africa!

Bear or No Bear? Is a Koala a bear? No bear!! A Koala is a marsupial, like a Kangaroo, and marsupials are found in Australia.

Name the bear!

Bear Facts!! 8 different species of bear! Bears are mammals, like us humans Bears are hairy! They have short legs They have 5 non-retractable claws A short tail Small rounded ears Typically solitary animals Most species hibernate Young stay with their mothers for 1 year Some bears have a very general diet They have an excellent sense of smell!

Bears are Super Quick!! Bears can run as fast as 35mph (miles per hour) and can keep this speed up for over a mile! While the fastest human ever recorded in Usian Bolt at 28 mph, but he could only do this for under 10 seconds over 100m! So most species of bears could always out-run, and if they wanted catch a human!!

Bear aware! Make noise! Always walk in a group Take bear spray! Go as scent free as possible No food, toothpaste etc. in your tent If it’s brown bear, get down If it’s black bear, fight back!

Bear conservation Unfortunately bear populations are decreasing over the world due to many factors, such as: -Habitat loss, such as a result of deforestation. -Hunting for their meat and fur. -Global warming, less ice means polar bears cant hunt their food! -Persecution by humans for pets and for unproven medicine. People over the world are saving bears from places they are mistreated. -This involves them saving them from places where they shouldn’t be kept. -They will then rehabilitate them and when possible release them back into the wild. -If its not possible to release them back into the wild they will keep them in captivity in better conditions, there are even some bears in Edinburgh Zoo now living there that have been rescued from poor conditions!