Brown Bear

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The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is also known as the grizzly bear in the United States.

It is the most widely distributed bear in the world with populations in North America, Europe, Russia, Asia.

The wide geographical range of the brown bear means its status changes according to location. For example, the IUCN lists it as endangered in Mongolia but stable in Findland and the United States.

In North America the brown bear is a western bear, with Alaska home to the largest brown bear population.

Brown bear populations in the continental United States decreased significantly during the twentieth century. In 1975 they were listed as a threatened species.

Today there are five different regions in the western United States designated as recovery habitats. About ninety per cent of the grizzly population is found in two of those areas, the ecosystem that includes Yellowstone National Park and an area in north central Montana that includes Glacier National Park.

© 2005 Patricia A. Michaels.