Page 113 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

THE KENAI PENINSULA  111

The Bears of Alaska

Most visitors to Alaska want to see bears, and nearly everyone does. One often hears,
“When you’re in Alaska, you’re never far from a bear,” and while that does not hold true
for the Aleutian Islands, the rest of the state is prime bear habitat. Alaska is home to
three species of bears – black, brown, and polar. Alaskan brown bears are further divided
into two kinds, the smaller grizzlies of the Interior and the enormous brown bears of
Southwest Alaska. They are not a true subspecies, however, and the size variations are
due only to differences in their diet. Active in summer, many bears become dormant
in winter, retreating to dens and living on fat reserves. Cubs are often born during
dormancy. Bears can be aggressive, particularly when protecting cubs or competing
with each other during the breeding season.

Brown bears, numbering
about 40,000 in Alaska, are
resident from the Southeast
to the Arctic. The smaller
grizzlies eat more
vegetation, whereas
Kodiaks (see p207), which
can measure up to 12 ft
(4 m) tall when standing
on their hind legs, eat a
high-protein fish diet.
Black bears, which measure an average
of 5 ft (1.5 m) in length, are the smallest
Bear Safety Alaskan bears. These predominantly
vegetarian bears are found everywhere
• Store food in in Alaska except the Arctic tundra and
a bear-proof the Aleutian Islands.
container, and
cook away
from tents.
Never eat or
keep snacks
in your tent.
• In a bear Bear safety sign
encounter, do
not run, as that may elicit a chase response.
• In a defensive attack, curl up in a ball with
knees tucked into the stomach, arms
wrapped around the face, and hands
laced behind the back of the neck.
• In an aggressive attack, fight back with
as much strength as possible. Poke at the
bear’s eyes and nose, punch it in the face, Polar bears, which inhabit the Arctic Ocean
and try to hit it with a hiking pole or stick.
• Polar bears are the only species that coastline, subsist mainly on marine mammals.
Swimming across open water, they spend
stalk humans, and in an aggressive most of their lives roaming the ice floes in
attack, a firearm will pro vide the only search of seals, but come ashore in the fall
reasonable protection.
to breed (see p227).
Best Times
Bear Identification
to See Best Places to See
Black Black or cinnamon coat; Spring, summer, Anan Creek Wildlife
(Ursus americanus) pointed muzzle and fall Observatory
Brown Dark brown to blond coat; Denali National Park and
(Ursus arctos) prominent shoulder hump Summer to fall Katmai National Park
Polar Creamy coat; longer neck Spring and fall Barrow and Kaktovik
(Ursus maritimus) than other bears

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