Bear Facts

  • A grizzly bears diet consists of: 80% Vegetation and 20% protein (small mammals, fish, carrion and insects)
  • Ski resorts mimic prime bear habitat, as ski slopes resemble avalanche paths, where all their favourite food grows. Thus, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort provides an excellent environment for black and grizzly bears.
  • Favourite grizzly bear vegetation includes: Sweetvetch, Skunk Cabbage, Mountain Cow Parsnip, Sedges, Grasses, Roots, Dandelions, Glacier Lily bulbs and most berries.
  • During hibernation, bears can burn up to 4000 calories a day.
  • An adult Grizzly can hibernate with up to 2.5 million calories of stored energy.
  • Grizzly bears can weigh between 130 - 680 kg (285 - 1500 pounds) and stand between 1.7 - 3 meters (5.5 - 10 feet) tall.
  • Grizzly bears have good eyesight (much like humans) and excellent senses of hearing and smell (better than a dog).
  • Although grizzly bears emerge from their dens on warm winter days, they usually do not stray more then 20 meters before returning.