European Brown Bear

A widely dispersed bear species, the European Brown Bear is known as the Grizzly Bear in North America. Individuals have a broad head, long snout, and small round ears. Their bodies are covered in thick brown fur, with the colours varying from a very pale brown to a dark brown. Brown Bears have a distinctive hump across their shoulders and in some locations, a thicker collar of fur around their neck.

Five Sisters Zoo is proud to provide a home for rescued European Brown Bears. Learn more about how our bears came to live here:

Rescue bears at FSZ

Facts

Diet: Omnivores; nuts, berries, seeds, fungi, fruit, fish, small mammals and invertebrates.

Weight: 100-250kg for females, 265-355 for males

Length: 1.6 to 2.1m

Habitat: Russia, northern Europe, portions of Western Europe; mountainous forest, shrubland, grassland, some found in desert areas and wetlands.

Life Span: 20-30 years.

Adapted to survive

Thick layer of fat to insulate them from cold temperatures and as storage of nutrients to survive the winter when the food is scarce
During winter they fall into a deep sleep called torpor. During torpor, heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature decrease. They can sleep for more than one hundred days without eating or drinking but are able to wake up if they are hurt or feel threatened.