The Return Yellowstone Grizzly

Grizzly bears have a huge appetite. During spring,summer, and early fall, they are four-legged eatingmachines. They gorge on fish, elk, berries, roots, andinsects. A grizzly can eat 40,000 army cutworm moths inone day. All that eating helps grizzlies build up a protectivelayer of fat. The fat allows the bears to stay in their densthroughout the long, cold winter.Grizzlies and Native AmericansGrizzly bears have lived in North America for overa thousand years. They were valued and respected by theNative Americans. Although Native Americans huntedbears, many also saw them as supernaturalbeings that were part human.The Blackfoot nation of Montanarespected the grizzly for its courage andstrength. They included bear dances intheir rituals. To the Blackfoot, grizzlieswere a source of food, clothing, andornaments. They were also asymbol of strength and power.The Blackfoot proudly woregrizzly bearclaw ornaments.6