Bears - Big and Scary But Not to Children

Bears are one of the most ferocious animals in the world. So how did they become the quintessential children’s cuddly toy at bedtime? Let’s talk about the scary man-eating bears in the wild and their rise to fame as a child’s soothing and gentle friend.

Bears of the World

Only eight species of bears live in various habitats, mainly throughout the Northern Hemisphere and dipping a little into the Southern Hemisphere. They have a heavy build with stocky legs, thick fur, and short tails. They are clumsy in the way they move. However, regardless of their appearance and awkwardness, they are excellent runners, climbers and swimmers.

During mating season, a male and female couple may forage or hunt together, and mother bears will travel with their cubs to protect them. However, other than these two situations, bears are loners. They wander and hunt alone.

Bears hibernate all through the winter. They go into a deep sleep. During hibernation, they exist on the buildup of fat accumulated over the previous months. Hibernation may last for as long as 100 days, after which time they come out from their dens in the spring, and man, are they hungry! So spring can be a particularly hazardous time to run into a bear on a hiking trail in the mountains. Hikers must carry bear spray to ward off any grouchy bear they may come across.

Bears In Canada

Of the eight species of bears, only three inhabit areas of Canada. They are the polar bear, the grizzly bear, and the black bear. These three types of bears typically live in different habitats bordering each other but with little overlap. Their needs for sustenance are different, and their comfort levels with the terrain and the weather also vary.

In Canada, tourists can enjoy seeing bears in their natural habitats through wildlife sightseeing tours. These tours are trendy and not cheap. It’s not every day that city dwellers can see wild animals in their natural state, and seeing them in person is much more exciting and authentic than watching them on television. If you’re ever in the neighbourhood of western Canada, one of these tours would certainly add excitement to your vacation.

Polar Bears

Polar bears live in the Great White North within the area of the Arctic Circle. Although most are born on land, they spend most of their adult lives on the ice flows or swimming from one ice flow to another. Their primary food source is the seals living on the ice flow’s edge. When seals are scarce, they live off of their substantial body fat. Wildlife experts consider polar bears a vulnerable species due to climate change and melting ice fields.

Polar bears are the largest of the bears found in Canada. The boar (male) can weigh anywhere from 350-700 kg, and the sow (female) is usually about half that size. Their anatomy has adapted to survive the cold northern temperatures. They have 10cm of protective fat covered with a dense underfur layer and an outer layer of guard hairs. Polar bears are white, or are they? Their outer guard hairs are transparent but appear white when sunlight reflects off them. Their colour allows them to blend in with the ice and snow.

Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bears can survive in various habitats, from forests to meadows. This bear is omnivorous. However, most of its nourishment comes from vegetation. It doesn’t hibernate in the winter. Its body functions may slow down a little, but it can be active all winter. It has no natural enemies except for humans.

Black Bears

About 500,000 black bears inhabit forests in Canada. These are the bears that have the most interaction with humans. Many people travel through or in these forested areas en route to recreation sites. The chance of meeting or at least seeing a black bear is not that uncommon. Also, the possibility of escaping such an encounter without injury or even at all is not good.

There are mountains across the river and north of where I live. Every year, housing subdivisions are developing higher up the hillsides, encroaching on the natural habitat of the black bear. Even though they know the danger, people leave food out and don’t always adequately secure their garbage. Bears looking for food don’t have to look very far. Some careless humans left their tasty garbage easily accessible out in the open.

Sometimes, there are bear attacks on pets or even people. However, in most cases where bears and humans meet, the bear loses. Every year, conservation officers euthanize bears whose only crime was being hungry, and uncaring humans invited them over for dinner.

Teddy Bears

A teddy bear is one of many stuffed animal children’s toys famous worldwide. I don’t know if it was the first stuffed animal, but it is undoubtedly the most common and famous. Teddy bears are one of the most popular children’s toys, and they are also popular gifts for adults to express love and affection.

So, how did the teddy bear come about? History suggests that the teddy bear was named in honour of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, in the early 20th century. Teddy is the short form of Theodore.

The story goes that Roosevelt was on a bear hunt with some associates. Some of Roosevelt’s assistants managed to corner a bear. They clubbed it into submission and tied it to a tree. They then informed Roosevelt of their successful capture of the bear and suggested he shoot it as most others on the hunt had already shot a bear. He refused because he said it would be unsportsmanlike to kill the defensive creature. However, he did order someone else to shoot the bear because it was injured.

This story became famous, and the teddy bear was born simultaneously in the United States and Germany. This story ruins the wholesome image of what a teddy bear represents. Love and innocence. Really?!

A Canadian Celebrity

Winnie the Pooh is a teddy bear named Winnie. While most people probably don’t know it, a real live bear born in Canada inspired the Winnie the Pooh character.

On August 24, 1914, a naturalized Canadian soldier from Britain, Lieutenant Harry Colebourn, bought a bear cub from a trapper in the train station in White River, Ontario, Canada. The trapper had killed the cub’s mother, but he didn’t have the heart to kill the orphaned cub, so he was looking for a buyer for the cub. His new owner named the cub Winnipeg after his Canadian hometown, Winnipeg, Manitoba. He called the cub Winnie for short.

In early October, Lieutenant Colebourn sailed for England with his pet Winnie. WWI was calling. When he arrived, he realized Winnie could not go to war with him, so he left Winnie at the London Zoo.

As a child, Christopher Robin Milne became fascinated with the very tame and friendly bear cub named Winnie. To make a long story,

Christopher Robin’s father, author A.A. Milne, created the Winnie the Pooh series with all the unusual but lovable characters in the stories, including his son Christopher Robin.

Teddy bears have a long history and were a big part of the lives of many children growing up. My siblings and I had teddy bears when we were young. One of them was so big that we could lay on it and slide down the stairs.

And Now For Your Listening Enjoyment

Here is “Teddy Bears’ Picnic” by Canada’s own Anne Murray. Please keep in mind that this is a song for children.

Lyrics

"Teddy Bears' Picnic"
Performed by Ann Murray (2001)
Music written by John W. Bratton
Lyrics written by Jimmy Kennedy

If you go down in the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise
If you go down in the woods today
You'd better go in disguise!

For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain
Because today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic

Picnic time for Teddy Bears
The little Teddy Bears are having a lovely time today
Watch them, catch them unawares
And see them picnic on their holiday

See them gaily gad about
They love to play and shout
They never have any cares
At six o'clock their Mommies and Daddies
Will take them home to bed
Because they're tired little Teddy Bears

Every Teddy Bear who's been good is sure of a treat today
There's lots of marvelous things to eat and wonderful games to play
Beneath the trees where nobody sees
They'll hide and seek as long as they please
'Cause that's the way the Teddy Bears have their picnic

Picnic time for Teddy Bears
The little Teddy Bears are having a lovely time today
Watch them, catch them unawares
And see them picnic on their holiday

See them gaily gad about
They love to play and shout
They never have any cares
At six o'clock their Mommies and Daddies
Will take them home to bed
Because they're tired little Teddy Bears

Because they're tired little Teddy Bears

The above essay is for entertainment and English language study only. For suggestions on how to use this post to improve your English reading and listening comprehension, click here.

Vocabulary

ferocious – adjective; fierce, savage, or wildly cruel or destructive; wild, dangerous, and unpredictable
quintessential – adjective; the purest and most perfect, or most typical; the most representative and most common
habitats – pl. noun; the natural environment characteristically occupied by an organism; where a specific animal normally lives (in this context)
clumsy – adjective; not graceful in movement or shape; awkward; not graceful or pleasant to watch
awkwardness – noun; clumsy or bungling; not graceful or pleasant to watch
forage – intransitive verb; go searching; looking for food (in this context)
grouchy – adjective; discontented, grumpy; not in a good mood
sustenance – noun; means of sustaining life; nourishment; food (in this context)
terrain – noun; ground, a tract of land esp. with regard to its physical characteristics; physical area, i.e. mountains, forests, valleys, etc.
trendy – adjective; fashionable; popular these days (in this context)
authentic – adjective; of undisputed origin; genuine; real
anatomy – noun; the science of the bodily structure of animals and plants; body
omnivorous – adjective; feeding on many kinds of food, esp. on both plants and flesh; eats both plants and animals
encroaching – intransitive verb; (foll. by on); intrude, esp. on another’s territory or rights; being present in another’s habitat
adequately – adverb; barely sufficient; good enough
euthanize – transitive verb; painlessly kill; to kill an animal that’s in conflict with humans (in this context)
submission – noun; the action or an instance of yielding to the authority or will of another; surrender willingly or unwillingly
inspire – transitive verb; instill (a feeling) into a person, etc.; the idea behind something
naturalized – adjective; (a person of foreign birth) to the citizenship of a country; become a citizen of a country other than where you were born
fascinated – adjective; capture the interest of; attracted irresistibly; strongly attracted to

Comprehension Questions

How many species of bears are there?
(a) two, (b) four, (c) six, or (d) eight
How many species inhabit areas of Canada?
(a) one, (b) two, (c) three, or (d) four
Which are the largest of the bears found in Canada?
In polar bears, is the boar or the sow bigger?
Do grizzly bears have natural enemies?
Yes or No If yes, who or what?
About how many black bears inhabit the forests in Canada?
(a) about five, (b) about a dozen, (c) about half a million, (d) none
Can black bears and humans live comfortably together?
Yes or No
Is it a good idea to feed wild bears?
Yes or No
Theodore Roosevelt was the president of
(a) the United States, (b) France, (c) Canada, or (d) Russia
Who is Winnie the Pooh’s only human friend?

Answers

Resources

Wikipedia – Bear
National Geographic – Animal Facts: Grizzly Bear
History Stories