What is the life history of a grizzly bear?
Grizzly bears usually have one to four cubs (average of two), which are born in the den in late January. At birth their eyes are closed, they have very little hair, and they weigh less than a pound. Grizzlies have cubs every three years on average, and cubs accompany their mother until she has another litter. Grizzly bear mothers are highly protective of their young and will risk death to protect them. Female grizzlies usually begin to breed at 5 to 6 years of age. Male bears do not participate in caring for the young. The average life span of a grizzly is 15 to 20 years. The oldest wild grizzly bear ever captured in North America was a female in the Cabinet Mountains of Montana, which was 34 years old.
