Bears Photos - Conservation

Bears Photos - Population

Picture source: bcadventure com © 1995-2004 Interactive Broadcasting Corporation

In the USA the population of grizzlies outside of Alaska has been eliminated from 99% of their range. Their numbers have been reduced from 100,000 to fewer than 1,000 since Europeans arrived on the continent. The Grizzly bear population can be found nowadays only in the Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems.

Very small populations inhabit the North Cascades of Washington, the Selkirks of Washington and Idaho, and the Cabinet-Yaaks of Idaho and Montana. On the whole, all of the species left are endangered and are under the protection of governments.

The other type of the Bear species is the giant panda that can be found in China and occupies less than 1% of their former range and number fewer than 1,200. The number of sun bears, Asiatic black bears, and sloth bears in Asia is also constantly lessening. The polar bear population had declined to fewer than 10,000 worldwide in the mid-1960s.

There are special programs in different countries that aim at protecting these animals and saving the species that are on the verge of extinction. Thus in 1986, the Bear program at Washington State University was established. The main idea of this program was to inform people about Bears and their endangered position and to foster awareness that bears need our help.

Bears Photos - Conservation Links

Picture source: Defenders of Wildlife ©

Alaska Bear Pictures of Polar, Grizzly and Black Bears - Educational information about bears with photos of grizzly, polar, brown and black bears from Alaska.

American Bear Association - Promotes the well-being of black bears across North America and provides bear observation at Minnesota's Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary.

Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Program - Washington State University site on bear research and management.

Bear Taxon Advisory Group Educational Site - Official website of the AZA's conservation subcommittee for the conservation of bears with information about the eight species of bears.

Bear Trust International - General information, habitat conservation and education projects.

Bears Canada - Information about bears in the wild, stories, and e-cards.

Black Bear Conservation Committee - Engaged in efforts to stop the decline of Louisiana Black Bears (Ursus americanus), this site has a message board, research links, news, and a free CD about bears and songbirds for educators.

Brown Bear Resources - A non-profit organization working for a better understanding of Grizzlies.

Conservation Science Institute - Bears - Information about bears' behavior and ecology in Alaska.

Eastern Slopes Grizzly Bear Project - Research in Banff National Park, Canada. Includes Grizzly Bear basics, bear safety, and scientific research publications.

Picture source: GORP com ©

Giant Panda Conservation Plan: Pandas in the Public Eye - American Zoo and Aquarium Association article about zoos' efforts to use the popularity of the panda to popularize species conservation in general.

Giant Pandas at the National Zoo - View pictures of the baby pandas at the national zoo in Washington, D.C.

Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) - ThinkQuest - Discusses grizzly bear appearance, habitat, feeding, hibernation and reproduction.

International Association for Bear Research and Management - A non-profit organization of biologists and others working with bears. Site has bear descriptions by species.

Nature: The Polar Bears of Churchill - Information related to the PBS television program about Churchill, Manitoba. Includes video clips and photos.

Polar Bears Alive - Nonprofit organization dedicated to helping polar bears. On the left find links to Bear Facts, Polar Bear Maps, pictures in the Polar Bear Gallery, and Polar Bear FAQ.

Sierra Club Grizzly Bear Ecosystems Project - Working to protect and restore wild grizzly populations in the lower forty-eight United States and Canada.

Ursus Horribilus - The life and times of the now extinct California grizzly. Features eyewitness accounts and vintage postcards.

Vital Ground Foundation - A non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of wild places, focusing on Grizzly Bear habitat.

WildCam: Brown Bear - Live cam of bears at Alaska's McNeil River as they gather for their annual salmon feast

Yellowstone's Bears - Identification of Grizzly and Black bears, viewing locations, guided tours, updates.

Bears Photos - Other Bears sites

Grizzly Bears - Grizzly bears (Brown bear or Ursus arctos) once inhabited most of the Western United States. They favored areas near streams and rivers, where conflicts with humans were likely. In the beginning of the 20th century, Grizzlies were eliminated from 95% of their range and survived only in remote wilderness areas.

Today, Grizzly bears are found in mountain ranges from the coast of British Columbia to the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. The home range of Grizzlies varies from 200-500 sq. km. for females to 1000-2000 sq. km. for males. Grizzlies need places with minimal human access. Human activities cause constant stress on Grizzly bears and other animals.

Bears Pictures - There are 8 species of Bears in the world:

Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) or American Black Bear, Cinnamon Bear, Kermode Bear, Glacier Bear, and Florida Black Bear.

Bears Pictures Hunting - Bears are powerful animals that can be found throughout the world. They are large and powerful animals, whose distinctive characteristic is a plantigrade walk. They walk on their heels like humans do. Bears have a huge body, short legs, small, round ears, a small, furry tail, and forward facing eyes.