Wild Beasts and Their Ways, Reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America — Volume 1Baker, Samuel White, Sir
History
Wild Beasts and Their Ways, Reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America — Volume 1
Baker, Samuel White, Sir
Animal behavior; Hunting
The Ursus labiatus seldom produces more than two or three at a birth,
and the young cub is extremely ugly, but immensely powerful in limbs and
claws. I have seen a very young animal which held on to the inside of
its basket when inverted, and although shaken with great force, nothing
would dislodge its tenacious clutch; this specimen was about six weeks
old.
Although many varieties of bears are tree-climbers, there are others
which are contented with the ground, and which could not ascend a tree
even should they be tempted by its fruit. The grizzly bear (Ursus ferox)
belongs to this class, and his enormous weight would at any time
necessitate especial care when experimenting upon the strength of
boughs. I do not believe that any person has actually weighed a grizzly,
but an approximate idea may be obtained through a comparison with the
polar bear (Ursus maritimus), which is somewhat equal in size, probably
superior. When I was in California, experienced informants assured me
that no true grizzly bear was to be found east of the Pacific slope, and
that Lord Coke was the only Britisher who had ever killed a real grizzly
in California. There are numerous bears of three if not four varieties
in the Rocky Mountains, and these are frequently termed grizzlies, as a
misnomer; but the true grizzly is far superior in size, although similar
in habits, and his weight varies from 1200 to 1400 lbs.
Mr. Lamont, in his interesting work Yachting in the Arctic Seas, gives
the most accurate account of all Arctic animals that he killed, and
having the advantage of his own yacht, he was able to weigh the various
beasts, and thus afford the most valuable information in detail. This is
his account of a polar bear (Ursus maritimus) which he himself killed :-
"He was so large and heavy that we had to fix the ice-anchor, and drag
him up with block and tackle, as if he had been a walrus. This was an
enormous old male bear, and measured upwards of 8 feet in length, almost
as much in circumference, and 4 1/2 feet at the shoulder; his fore paws
were 34 inches in circumference, and had very long, sharp, and powerful
nails; his hair was beautifully thick, long, and white, and hung several
inches over his feet. He was in very high condition, and produced nearly
400 lbs. of fat; his skin weighed upwards of 100 lbs., and the entire
carcase of the animal cannot have been less than 1600 lbs."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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