Bear Safety and Buffaloberries in the Canadian Rockies скачать в хорошем качестве

Bear Safety and Buffaloberries in the Canadian Rockies

When it comes to bears in the Canadian Rockies, no single plant is more important than Canadian buffaloberry. When these tiny berries ripen, black and grizzly bears eat vast amounts every day. It is the single most important food for bears in the mountains and they also line most of our low elevation trails. For bears to build their fat layers for winter, they need foods that are incredibly nutritious, high in protein, and easily digested...and there ain't no salmon in the Rockies. Here, those three categories come together in only one single plant. The bear safety aspect comes in the fact they need full sunlight to grow. This means they need an opening in the canopy to grow. What is a trail, if not an opening in the canopy? a road? a townsite? This means that buffaloberry thrives along trailsides, roads, and on the periphery of townsites. Add to this the fact they taste terrible, and you've got another challenge...most people don't eat them so, in turn, they can't identify them. You may be walking on a trail lined with a grizzly bear buffet and have no idea. One final detail. When bears feed on buffaloberries, they go through a hormonal change called hyperphagia...a hormonal imperative to binge. This means they're out of it...they're not paying attention. Their only focus is on feeding and building fat for the winter. So if you're not paying attention, and they're not paying attention, you've got the perfect situation for an unwanted close encounter. Add to that a fast-moving mountain bike and you've got a great potential for conflict. The best way to stay safe in bear country is to understand their seasonal food preferences. Bears eat very specific foods at very specific times. If you know what they're eating, when they're eating it, and how much they're eating, then just by what is growing around you you can get an idea of when to be extra vigilant, and you can even select your seasonal outings specifically around avoiding seasonal foods. Staying safe in bear country is all about knowledge. Understanding bear ecology, seasonal foods, and natural history is the best way to enjoy the mountains in the safest possible way. Ward Cameron Enterprises offers wildlife ecology tours specifically designed to stay safe in bear country. Drop me a line at ward@wardcameron.com if you'd like to stay safe.