The Return Yellowstone Grizzly

Other American BearsThe American black bearis a smaller cousin to thegrizzly. Black bears resemblegrizzlies in some ways. Theyeat many of the same foods,and both species have anexcellent sense of smell.However, there are key differences.The black bear haslarger and more pointed ears,shorter claws, a longer face,and no shoulder hump. Theblack bear is the most commonbear species in North America.It has been recorded in everystate except Hawaii.The white-furred polar bearlives in Alaska’s Arctic region.It is also found in Canada,Denmark, Russia, and Norway.Polar bears are similar togrizzlies in size. They huntseals, reindeer, and walrus. Inthe past, people shot polarbears for sport. Today, climatechange and pollution areconsidered major threats tothe species. Polar bears, likegrizzlies and black bears, aretop predators in theirecosystem.17