THE BEAR DENS, No. 37.

The bears of the world form a very interesting group; and when its representatives are properly installed—in large, open yards, with abundant sunlight, fresh air and room for exercise—they develop finely, live happily, and furnish endless entertainment. Under proper conditions, bears are cheerful animals, full of the playful spirit that robs captivity of its chief terror. To confine large bears singly, in small cages, or in wet-floored, high-walled dungeons, or in the unspeakable “pits” of mediaeval type, is a sin against Nature. It is to be noted, however, that small and timid bears, like Ursus japonicus, are better off in small cages than in the very large ones; and it is for this reason that eight small dens have been provided, opposite the original series.

The Zoological Society has put forth considerable effort in constructing a series of nine large Bear Dens which provide ideal conditions for their inmates. Bears do not need buildings! Their habits call for large, open yards, properly situated, with snug and dry sleeping-dens attached, to which they can retire whenever they wish. To them, masonry walls are worse than useless, for they cut off sunlight and promote dampness; but rocks and trees upon which to climb are very beneficial. In warm weather, all bears are fond of bathing, and a bathing pool in each cage is very necessary.

It is cruelty to animals for visitors to throw peanuts, or food of any kind, into our bear dens; and it is strictly forbidden. All persons who do not wish to be reprimanded in public, or arrested, are advised to refrain from it. Teasing with food always irritates bears, sets them to fighting, spoils their dispositions and renders them dangerous to the keepers who have to go in with them! All visitors who are law-abiding, and friendly to the Zoological Society, are requested to assist the keepers and policemen in preventing lawless persons from throwing food into the bear dens. A stern reprimand often prevents serious trouble.

POLAR BEARS.
Showing a portion of their den and pool cut from the solid rock.

The bears of North America form four well-defined groups, as follows:

The Polar Bear. The Grizzly Bear. The Alaskan Brown Bears. The Black Bears, and their allies.

Up to this date (April 1, 1913), 24 species and subspecies have been described, and it is reasonably certain that much more work remains to be done on the members of this group of animals before the status of each valid and invalid species will be rendered thoroughly clear.

The most noteworthy species are as follows:

THE MOST IMPORTANT SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BEARS.
Ursus maritimus, (Desm.), Polar Bear. Arctic regions generally.
The Brown Bears. Ursus middendorffi, (Merriam), Kadiak Bear. Kadiak Is., Alaska.
Ursus dalli, (Merr.), Yakutat Bear. Yakutat Bay, Alaska.
Ursus eulophus, (Merr.), Admiralty Bear. Admiralty Is., Alaska.
Ursus gyas, (Merr.), Peninsula Bear. Portage Bay, Alaska Peninsula.
The Grizzly Bears. Ursus Horribilis, (Ord.), Grizzly Bear: Silver-Tip. Wyoming and Utah to Alaska.
Ursas horribilis horriaeus, (Baird), Mexican Grizzly. Southwestern New Mexico.
Ursus richardsoni, (Swainson), Barren-Ground Grizzly. Great Slave Lake region, and Barren-Grounds.
The Black Bears. Ursus americanus, (Pallas), Black Bear. Eastern North America.
Ursus luteolus, (Griffith), Louisiana Bear. Louisiana and Texas.
Ursus floridanus, (Merr.), Everglade Bear. Florida.
Ursus emmonsi, (Dall), Glacier Bear. St. Elias Alps, Yakutat Bay.
Ursus kermodei, (Hornaday), Inland White Bear. Northwestern British Columbia.

The Polar Bear, (Ursus maritimus).—In nearly every collection of living bears the individuals of this species are the most showy and attractive. Their white coats quickly catch the eye of the visitor, and whether young or old, they are generally the most active and playful of all captive bears. In cold weather, when other bears lie in the sun, or, if permitted, curl up in the straw of their sleeping dens, the Polar Bear will disport himself in the freezing cold water of his swimming pool, and joyously play with a cake of ice until the sight of it makes one shiver.

The Polar Bear Den is situated at the north end of Rocking-Stone Hill, about two hundred feet from the north end of the main series of Bear Dens. It is reached by descending the steps leading toward the Beaver Pond, and turning to the right. From the Rocking-Stone Restaurant, the Polar Bears are quickly reached by descending the hill toward the north.

Although the Polar Bear inhabits practically the whole of the Arctic Ocean and its numerous islands, it is by no means the most northerly warm-blooded mammal. Nansen found fox tracks at 85° N., but the most northerly bear observed was on the 84th parallel. The favorite home of this animal is the edge of the great polar ice cap, where Neptune and the “Frost King” wage continuous warfare. He seldom ventures more than a day’s journey inland, on any shore. In winter, as the edge of the ice-pack moves southward, and in summer when it retreats northward, he follows it in order to keep in touch with the ringed seals and walrus that also go with it.

POLAR BEAR “SILVER KING.”

The power of the Polar Bear to resist ice-cold water—nay, even to enjoy it—may fairly be regarded as one of the wonders of Nature. On the coast of Alaska this strange creature will plunge into the Arctic Ocean and swim miles from shore, through tossing fields of broken ice, and wherever the mother leads, her cubs follow.

In the Autumn of 1910, the sealing steamer “Boethic” arrived at New York bringing two adult Polar Bears that were captured in the summer of that year by Mr. Paul J. Rainey. Both animals were presented to the Zoological Society, and the largest one called “Silver King” occupies the cage that was specially built for the polar bears, and the female is exhibited in very comfortable quarters, built for her near that installation. Owing to their savage temper neither of these bears ever can be kept with other bears, nor can any keeper ever enter the cage of either. “Silver King” weighs 880 pounds and is probably the largest Polar Bear ever captured alive and unhurt. While the female is not as large as “Silver King,” she is in every way as perfect a specimen.

The Yakutat Bear, (Ursus dalli).—In 1899, we received from Hudson Lake, Copper River District, Alaska, two young Alaskan Brown Bears which for some time we believed would prove to represent the species found on Kadiak Island. In this belief they were for a time labeled as Kadiak Bears, (U. middendorffi), and so entered provisionally in previous editions of the Guide Book. The maturity of the animals has proven that this supposition was erroneous. The extremely short and thick muzzle of the adult male proves conclusively that they are not identical with the long-skulled species of Kadiak. This interesting pair, absolutely identical in color with middendorffi, are now identified, pending further revisions of our Urisdae, as Ursus dalli.

SYRIAN BEAR.

This species, and the two following, well represent the group of big Alaskan Brown Bears, which are quite distinct from the grizzlies and blacks. They are characterized by their great size, high shoulders, massive heads, shaggy brown pelage, and large claws. They live chiefly upon salmon, which they catch from the small streams, but they also devour great quantities of grass.

The Peninsula Bear, (Ursus gyas), of Moeller Bay, well down the Alaskan Peninsula, may at once be recognized by its light brownish-yellow color, and its great size for a bear born in 1904. Its claws are of enormous thickness.

This animal is now beyond doubt one of the two largest bears in captivity, his only rival being in the Zoological Park at Washington.

The Admiralty Bear, (Ursus eulophus), represents a large species originally discovered on Admiralty Island, southern Alaska. Its dark brown color is very much like that of the Yakutat and Kadiak bears.

The Grizzly Bear, or “Silver-Tip Grizzly,” (Ursus horribilis).—The rapid disappearance of this species from the United States renders all living examples of it specially interesting.

Of all bears, the Silver-Tip Grizzly is the most savage and dangerous. He is easily angered, and when wounded or harried not only becomes furiously vindictive, but he also possesses a degree of courage which renders him a dangerous antagonist. As a general thing, a Grizzly Bear, like a lion or tiger, will run as soon as he discovers the presence of his only enemy—man; but if he is wounded or cornered—or thinks he is cornered—he assumes the aggressive, without an instant’s delay. Unfortunately, the largest Silver-Tip Grizzlies ever killed have been too far from scales to make it possible to weigh them.

The most interesting specimen of the Rocky Mountain Silver-Tip now on exhibition is a dark-colored and very handsome specimen, named “Engineer,” obtained in Meeker, Colorado, by Professor Henry F. Osborn, and presented to the Society by the Engineers’ Club of New York City. The color of this individual is darker than the most common type of the Silver-Tip, which is sometimes almost as gray as a badger.

A very beautiful male Silver-Tip, from Wyoming, is much lighter in color than the Colorado specimen. Its face and head are so light-colored it would be called by Rocky Mountain hunters a “Bald-Faced” Grizzly. A third specimen was obtained for the Society at White Horse, Yukon Territory, in 1905, and its development will be watched with much interest. Throughout the Rocky Mountain region the “Silver-Tip” and the “Grizzly” are identical; but the color of the species varies considerably.

In a wild state Grizzly Bears live on berries and fruits of all kinds available, succulent roots, grubs, carrion if it comes handy, and live game if it can be killed. In the cattle-growing states bordering the Rocky Mountains, owing to their cattle-killing propensities, a bounty of from twelve to fifteen dollars per head is paid for their destruction.

The Black Bear, (Ursus americanus).—Until quite recently all black bears in North America were referred to a single species, with the type of which most persons are familiar. Even during the last twenty years living representatives of the Black Bear group have been found in nearly every state and territory of the United States, and also in northern Mexico, Labrador, Province of Quebec, Alberta, Assiniboia, British Columbia, Alaska, and the Mackenzie River basin. Our collection contains Black Bears representing several widely separated localities.

The Spectacled Bear, (Ursus ornatus).—After ten years of constant effort the Zoological Park finally acquired late in 1910, a fine male specimen of the very rare and little known Spectacled Bear of the Andes of Ecuador and Peru. This zoological prize was procured for us in Quito, by Mr. Edgar Beecher Bronson (Author of “In Closed Territory,”) and by him presented to the Society. “Frederico” is distinguished by a glossy jet-black coat, very small ears, long feet and a large imperfect circle of white around each eye, with white bands down the cheeks and throat. In size it matches a small American black bear. As soon as the new bear dens are finished, this animal will be removed from the Small-Mammal House to one of them. If this species was ever before exhibited in North America, we have never heard of it.

The Andean Black Bear, (Ursus ornatus thomasi), from Southern Columbia, South America, is a subspecies of the spectacled bear, with no “spectacles” around its eyes, and no white markings save under its chin and throat. This specimen is smaller than the one from Quito. Practically nothing is known of the habits of these two species.

The Brown Bear of Europe, (Ursus arctos), is represented by two specimens from Central Russia which bear a general resemblance to Rocky Mountain grizzlies. This is so striking that were they not labeled very few persons would suspect their European birth. They have the high shoulders and grizzly brown coat of the silver-tip, and in the Rocky Mountains would be considered good examples of Ursus horribilis.

This pair has bred four times and reared some very fine cubs.

The Syrian Bear, (Ursus syriacus), is well represented by a fine specimen from Trebizond, Asia Minor. This bear is of a pale yellow color, with very high shoulders, narrow head and smooth pelage. The Syrian bear represents “the bears of the Bible,” which appeared in punishment of the children who were disrespectful to the prophet Elisha. Bears of this species are often trained to dance, and perform various tricks at command, and usually lead very miserable lives at the hands of gypsies and other bear specialists of nomadic habits.

SPECTACLED BEAR.

The Hairy-Eared Bear, (Ursus piscator), a species very rarely seen in captivity, is represented by two fine specimens from the Altai Mountains, Central Asia. This animal is sometimes called, on account of its peculiar light brown color, the Isabella Bear. Its more correct name has been bestowed on account of its large and very hairy ears. It inhabits northeastern Asia, as far southwestward as the Altai Mountains. The fine pair exhibited were presented to the Society by Mr. Carl Hagenbeck.

The Himalayan Black Bear, (Ursus torquatus), is the handsomest of the four living species of black bears, and can easily be identified anywhere by three distinct characters, neither of which is possessed by any other black bear. They are, a pure white chin, long side-whiskers on the jaws and sides of the neck and very large ears. Up to this date the geographic range of this very interesting animal has been recorded as extending from eastern Persia through Beluchistan, Afghanistan, Assam, and South China to Formosa; but the three specimens exhibited were taken in northern Japan, where the existence of this species seems to be established beyond question.

EUROPEAN BROWN BEAR.
Two cubs are nursing.

The Japanese Black Bear, (Ursus japonicus), from northern Japan, is one of the smallest of living bears, being only slightly larger than the Malay sun bear. In general appearance it suggests a small edition of the American black bear. The first specimen exhibited at the Zoological Park was very good-natured, but all these received since are nervous and irritable, and also very timid.

The Sloth Bear, (Ursus labiatus), often called the Long-Lipped Bear, can be recognized as far as it can be seen by its shaggy mop of enormously long, black hair, its white muzzle, and its very long, white claws. It is a creature of many peculiarities. It inhabits India generally in forest regions. This is Kipling’s “Baloo.”

LIST OF BEARS IN THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK.
April 1, 1913.
2 Polar Bears Ursus maritimus from Ellesmere Land.
2 Yakutat Bears Ursus dalli “ Alaska.
1 Peninsula Bear Ursus gyas “ Alaska Peninsula.
1 Admiralty Bear Ursus eulophus “ Adm. Is., Alaska.
3 Kadiak Bears Ursus middendorffi “ Kadiak Island.
1 Kobuk Brown Bear Undetermined “ Kobuk River, AL
1 Grizzly Bear Ursus horribilis “ Colorado.
1 ““ ““ “ Yukon Terr.
1 ““ ““ “ Wyoming.
1 Spectacled Bear Ursus ornatus “ Equador.
1 Andean Black Bear Ursus ornatus thomasi “ Columbia, S. A.
1 Black Bear Ursus americanus “ Pennsylvania.
1 ““ ““ “ Virginia.
3 ““ ““ “ Alaska.
1 ““ ““ “ West Ontario.
1 ““ ““ “ Mexico.
1 Cinnamon Bear ““ “ Colorado.
1 ““ ““ “ Wyoming.
1 Syrian Bear Ursus syriacus “ Asiatic Turkey.
3 Brown Bears Ursus arctos “ Central Russia.
2 Hairy-Eared Bears Ursus piscator “ N. W. Mongolia.
1 Himalayan Black Bear Ursus torquatus “ Japan.
1 Japanese Bear Ursus japonicus “ Japan.
1 Sloth Bear Ursus labiatus “ India.
2 Yezo Bears Ursus ferox “ Yezo, Japan.
1 Malay Sun Bear Ursus malayanus “ Borneo.
36 specimens, representing 18 species.

The Malay Sun Bear, (Ursus malayanus), is the smallest bear in the world, also the ugliest and the most ill-tempered. When fully enraged, it sometimes barks like a dog. Its hair is very short and close, and its head and feet seem to be too large for its body. This species inhabits Borneo, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and Farther India. Two specimens will be found in the Small-Mammal House.