Eurasian Brown Bear

The brown bear is sometimes referred to as the bruin, from Middle English. The name originated in the fable History of Reynard the Fox, translated by William Caxton, from the Middle Dutch word bruun or bruyn, meaning "brown".

The English word "bear" comes from Old English bera and belongs to a family of names for the bear in Germanic languages, such as Swedish björn, also used as a first name. This form is conventionally said to be related to a Proto-Indo-European word for "brown", so that "bear" would mean "the brown one". However, Ringe notes that while this etymology is semantically plausible, a word meaning "brown" of this form cannot be found in Proto-Indo-European. He suggests instead that "bear" is from the Proto-Indo-European word *ǵʰwḗr- ~ *ǵʰwér "wild animal". This terminology for the animal originated as a taboo avoidance term: proto-Germanic tribes replaced their original word for bear—arkto—with this euphemistic expression out of fear that speaking the animal's true name might cause it to appear.

The brown bear is the most variable in size of modern bears. The typical size depends upon which population it is from, and most accepted subtypes vary widely in size. This is in part due to sexual dimorphism, as male brown bears average at least 30% larger in most subtypes. Individual bears also vary in size seasonally, weighing the least in spring due to lack of foraging during hibernation and the most in late fall, after a period of hyperphagia to put on additional weight to prepare for hibernation. Therefore, a bear may need to be weighed in both spring and fall to get an idea of its mean annual weight.

Brown bears are often not fully brown, despite the name. They have long, thick fur, with a moderately long mane at the back of the neck, which varies somewhat across the types. In India, brown bears can be reddish with silver-tipped hairs, while in China, brown bears are bicolored, with a yellowish-brown or whitish collar across the neck, chest, and shoulders. Even within well-defined subspecies, individuals may show highly variable hues of brown. North American grizzlies can be dark brown (almost black) to cream (almost white) or yellowish-brown and often have darker-colored legs. The common name "grizzly" stems from their typical coloration, with the hairs on their back usually being brownish-black at the base and whitish-cream at the tips, giving them their distinctive "grizzled" color. Apart from the cinnamon subspecies of the American black bear (Ursus americanus cinnamonum), the brown bear is the only modern bear species to typically appear truly brown.

The bears are also skilled at chasing fish around and using their claws to pin the slick creatures. That kind of mechanical advantage extends to all of the skeletal muscles in bears. Another important component of bear power is the sheer bulk of their muscles. Huge, thick hind legs and a massive rump characterize polar bears. They have a lot of heavy muscles on them. During five to seven months out of the year, grizzly bears hibernate (well, not in California, where the climate is too warm). It is during this period that female grizzly bears give birth to their young, which they nurse back to health for the duration of their hibernation. Brown bears hibernate during the winter months to conserve energy when food is scarce.

One of the strongest terrestrial carnivores was the Eurasian brown bear, which could flip logs, rocks, and occasionally small boulders. Brown bears can travel short distances at a speed of about 50 km/h. Adult bears can occasionally climb, but bear pups do. When necessary, Eurasian brown bears can swim great distances and cross rivers and lakes. The Eurasian brown bear had good hearing, mediocre vision, and a strong sense of smell—better than that of dogs. This bear goes into winter dormancy in burrows; their metabolic rate decreases, but they are still capable of waking if disturbed.

Even though brown bears are usually diurnal, their activity patterns can vary depending on a number of conditions, such as the season, the presence of humans, and the availability of food. They are primarily crepuscular, meaning they are active during the day or dusk and dawn. In certain situations, certain bears may become more active during dawn and dusk or even at night.

The Eurasian brown bear is adaptable and omnivorous. Berries, roots, nuts, fungi, insects, carrion, ungulate calves, fish, and occasionally cattle are all consumed by brown bears. As a keystone omnivore and apex predator, brown bears help spread seeds and control the numbers of herbivores and other creatures. Depending on the sex and region, the territory's home ranges range from 100 to more than 1,000 km².

Reproduction

• Breeding season: May–July.

• Delayed implantation: The embryo doesn’t implant until autumn; birth occurs in winter dens.

• Litter size: Usually 1–3 cubs (sometimes 4).

• Cubs: Born blind and dependent; stay with mother for 1.5–2.5 years.

• Reproductive interval: Females breed every 2–4 years.

If food is scarce, bears might forage more at night. Being wild animals with erratic temperaments, brown bears are not naturally amiable. Although they tend to avoid people, they are capable of striking if startled, frightened, or guarding food or young.

Unlike in North America, where an average of two people a year are killed by bears, Scandinavia only has records of three fatal bear attacks within the last century. In late 2019, brown bears killed three men in Romania in just over a month.

Threats

• Habitat fragmentation and loss

• Persecution due to livestock predation and/or competed with other wildlife or pets

• Poaching for fur, meat, and body parts

• Road mortality

• Declining genetic diversity in isolated populations

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern (LC)

Conservation efforts

• Habitat protection

• Anti-poaching enforcement

• Rescue and rehabilitation centers

• Rewilding schedules

• Awareness campaigns against illegal pet trade and bile farming

• EU Habitats Directive, Bern Convention, and other national protections throughout Europe.

Brown bears could once be found across most of Eurasia, compared to the more limited range today. General habitats included areas such as grassland, sparsely vegetated land, and wetlands.

Despite being listed on the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as of Least Concern (referring to the global species rather than the Eurasian brown bear specifically), local populations—particularly those in the European Union—are getting less and less common.  According to the IUCN: "Least Concern does not always mean that species are not at risk. There are declining species that are evaluated as Least Concern."

Long extinct in Britain (8th–11th centur, no brown bears in Britain today except in captive reserves and rewilding discussions), Denmark (around 6,500 years ago), the Netherlands (about 1,000 years ago, though later singles rarely wandered from Germany), Belgium, and Luxembourg, the brown bear has more recently been extinct in Germany (in 1835, although singles wandering from Italy were recorded in 2006 and 2019), Switzerland (in 1904, although a single was seen in 1923, and since 2005 there has been an increasing number of sightings of wanderers from Italy), and Portugal (in 1843, although a wanderer from Spain was recorded in 2019).

The "Sky People" or Terrans from Earth introduced the Eurasian brown bear to two Earth-like exoplanets: Berbania from Ursa Major and Reinachos from Cygnus between the 2600s and 2700s, during The Recollections of Queen Arianna (TROQA) saga. Despite the fact that our planet is dead, this species is being saved from extinction due to conservation efforts. Human activities for rewilding and wildlife hunting resulted in the brown bear becoming an invasive species. The brown bear lived in the same environment and climate as Earth on two Earth-like exoplanets.

• Movement Pattern: Nomadic

• Movement Pattern: Solo

• Population Trend: Increasing

• Population: 

  • Earth: 32,000

  • Berbania: ???

  • Reinachos: ???

  • Thatrollwa: ???

  • Sawintir: ???

• Locomotion: Amphibious

• Habitat: Polar; Tundra; Taiga; Montane Grasslands and Shrublands; Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests, Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Salt Flats; Stone Forest; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Mushroom Forests; Mushroom Fields; Deserts and Xeric Shrublands; Badlands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Tropical Bamboo Forests; Air-breathing Coral Reefs; Graveyard Vale; Mountain; Warm River; Cold River; Lukewarm River; Subterranean River; Warm Pond; Cold Pond.

• Earth: (we shared same subspecies as Ursus arctos spp.)

  • Extant (Resident): Afghanistan; Albania; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Canada; China; Croatia; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Greece; India; Iran; Iraq; Italy; Japan; Kazakhstan; North Korea; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Mongolia; Montenegro; Nepal; North Macedonia; Norway; Pakistan; Poland; Romania; Russia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Tajikistan; Turkiye; Ukraine; United States; Uzbekistan

  • Possibly Extinct: Bhutan; South Korea

  • Extinct: Algeria; Belgium; Denmark; Egypt; Germany; Hungary; Ireland; Israel; Jordan; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Mexico; Moldova; Monaco; Morocco; Netherlands; Palestine; Portugal; San Marino; Tunisia; United Kingdom

  • Presence Uncertain: Andorra; Austria; Czechia; Switzerland; Turkmenistan

  • Extant & Origin Uncertain: Lebanon; Syria

• Berbania: ???

• Reinachos: ???

• Delphia: ???

Brown bears can be tamed by feeding their babies honey and fish, much like bears do today.

Eurasian brown bears were used in Ancient Rome for fighting in arenas. The strongest bears apparently came from Caledonia and Dalmatia.

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• See also: ugh

Earth

• Western Elvish: Erskta Braen

• Eastern Elvish: Karsto Brin

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• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_bear

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_brown_bear

• http://iucnredlist.org/species/41688/121229971

• https://everydaypower.com/bear-quotes/

• https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=brownbear.main

• https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11704938

• https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/7L6NF

• https://eol.org/pages/1227671

• https://www.gbif.org/species/6163855

• https://www.deviantart.com/ognimdo2002/art/Brown-Bear-931113313