We Heart Grizzlies
We heart grizzly bears – especially Huckleberry and Hawthorne! Rescued as orphans in the wild, they came to Northwest Trek as young cubs and are now as close as brothers. Keep scrolling for fun facts, videos and stories!
During the winter months, grizzly bears enter “torpor.” During torpor, a bear’s body temperature, respiratory rate and metabolic rates all decrease to conserve energy. The bears can maintain this low energy sleeping state for days, weeks or even months without having much activity outside of their den, including eating and going to the bathroom.
Our grizzly bears Hawthorne and Huckleberry are so fun to watch. Born in winter 2018, they were orphaned in the wild: Hawthorne in Alaska, Huckleberry in Montana. Neither would have survived without their mom. They found a new home at Northwest Trek and are now as close as brothers, exploring and play-wrestling. Photo is of the bears as cubs.
Now the grizzlies are almost six years old, and getting stronger every day! They love foraging for food set around their habitat by keepers, playing in the pool and even digging a den. They also like rearranging the “furniture” in their overnight area.
- Grizzlies are one of the largest terrestrial predators in North America, with blond, brown or black fur and silver guard hairs that give them their name.
- They have long curved front claws, a prominent shoulder hump made of muscle and a long snout. Full-grown, they’re 6.5 feet long and around 3 feet high.
- They eat a variety of food: large and small mammals, carrion, salmon, fruit, plants and insects, depending on what’s in season.