Denali National Park                          Aug. 27, 2016

The Bear Wants a Snack!

This time of year bears prepare for hibernation (or more properly, winter dormancy) by eating almost continuously.  In Denali the bears diet is primarily berries  – a single bear can eat 10’s of thousands of berries a day!  Brown bears are extremely good diggers.  They constantly dig for roots and bulbs; the large hump on the brown bear’s back is muscle that powers the strong paws as they dig.  Unlike the coastal bears, Denali bears can’t gorge on salmon and have very few sources of protein.

Arctic ground squirrels are one of the prime sources of protein.  Bears can smell, and probably hear, the ground squirrels in their burrows.  When the bear senses the squirrel …

Whoa!  There’s a ground squirrel down there.

Going to dig him out …

And don’t bother me while I’m digging!!!

Just a little deeper …

 

I know you’re down there …

OK, a little deeper …

I smell you!

I’ll go a little deeper …

Where are you little ground squirrel?

I can go deeper …

Again, where are you?

Note:  At this point the sun comes out as a special favor to the photographer!

But the bear doesn’t seem to notice – he’s going down,

And further down!  But while he’s down and before the photographer realizes what’s happening, the ground squirrel escapes through a back door.

The bear realizes the squirrel is making a dash for it out the back door and starts the chase.

That bear can move!  But …

The squirrel has disappeared into the brush.  The bear comes out dejected.

Leaving hungry  and ready to search for easier pickings!

Next:  A little different post …