Colorado -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Outdoor books; Rocky Mountain National Park (Colo.) -- History; Rocky Mountains
The following morning he came forth and wandered about until
afternoon; then he broke his fast with a mouthful of willow-twigs.
Soon after eating these he took a drink of water. After this he walked
leisurely about until nearly sundown, then made himself a nest at the
foot of a cliff in the woods. Here he remained until late the
following afternoon, apparently sleeping. Just before sundown he
walked out a short distance, smelled of a number of things, licked the
snow a few times, and then returned to his nest.
The next morning he went early for a drink of water and ate more
willow-twigs. In the afternoon of this day he came on a dead
bird,--apparently a junco,--which he ate. Another drink, and he lay
down at the foot of a tree for the night. The next morning he drank
freely of water, surprised a rabbit, which he entirely devoured, and
then lay down and probably slept until noon the following day. On this
day he found a dead grouse, and toward evening he caught another
rabbit.
The following day he started off with more spirit than on any of the
preceding ones. Evidently he was hungry, and he covered more distance
that day than in all those preceding. He caught another rabbit,
apparently picked up three or four dead birds, and captured a mouse or
two.
Grizzlies are born about midwinter, while the mother is in the
hibernating-cave. The number at birth is commonly two, though
sometimes there is only one, and occasionally there are as many as
four. The period between births is usually two years. Generally the
young bears run with their mother a year and sleep in the cave with
her the winter after their birth.
At the time of birth the grizzly is a small, blind, almost hairless,
ugly little fellow, about the size of a chipmunk. Rarely does he weigh
more than one pound! During the first two months he grows but little.
When the mother emerges from the cave the cubs are often no larger
than cottontail rabbits; but from the time of emergence their
appetites increase and their development is very rapid.
They are exceedingly bright and playful youngsters. I have never seen
a collie that learned so easily or took training so readily as
grizzly bear cubs. My experience, however, is confined to five cubs.
The loyalty of a dog to his master is in every respect equaled by the
loyalty of a grizzly cub to his master. A grizzly, young or old, is an
exceedingly sensitive animal. He is what may be called high-strung. He
does unto you as you do unto him. If you are invariably kind, gentle,
and playful, he always responds in the same manner; but tease him, and
he resents it. Punish him or treat him unfairly, and he will become
permanently cross and even cruel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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