The Symbolic Meaning of Bears: An Exploration of Facts and Myths
Words That Symbolize The Bear
Brave
Resourceful
Confidence
Highly inquisitive
Humorous
Self reliant
Protection
Security
The Symbolism Of The Different Bears
The Black Bear
Black Bears
The black bear symbolizes resourcefulness and self-sufficiency, demonstrating the power of adaptability. In some Native American tribes, they are seen as a symbol of transformation and healing. Black bears are also seen as a symbol of patience and determination.
The American black bear is a species of bear that calls North America home. These large mammals can weigh anywhere from 100-600 pounds, and measure between four and six and a half feet long from nose to tail. In late November to early December, these bears take a trip to their dens to hibernate through the winter. During this period of sleep, their internal body temperature and heart rate lower, as well as their breathing slows down. To get through the long winter, they rely on the large amounts of body fat they built up during the summer and fall months. During this time, mama bears give birth to their cubs, which weigh less than a pound at birth. In the first three months of life, these cubs gain around 30 pounds. They stay with their mother for 1-3 years to learn how to survive in the wild.
Black bears have 3 different subspecies: Kermode bear, Cinnamon bear, or Glacier bear, but they are all black bears. The Kermode bears or “spirit” bears are white and only found in coastal British Columbia, so not all black bears are black in color. Black bears coat colors can range from black, brown, cinnamon, red, grey, tan, or blond. Many people mistakenly believe that black bears will attack humans to defend their cubs, but this is highly unlikely. Most of the time the mother bear will charge at you but rarely actually attack, usually the charging does the trick and scares most people. You would also be a special kind of stupid if you tried that theory so, still just keep your distance. Black bears are also expert tree climbers and very fast runners even though they are large they can run up to 25MPH. Not only are they fast on land, but they are fast swimmers too.
Their sense of smell is amazing and they can smell some food from up to 20 miles away, and believe it or not their sense of smell is better than a dog. They are 7x better than a bloodhound which is amazing because bloodhounds are master trackers, and bears are over 100x better at smelling than a human, making the bear one of the best smellers on earth. Bears noses contain hundred of tiny muscles and let them manipulate them with the same dexterity as people have for their fingers.
The Brown Bear
The Brown Bear
In many cultures, the brown bear symbolizes strength, courage, and spiritual guidance. The bear is commonly seen as a symbol of power and leadership, as well as resilience and adaptability.
Brown bears can be found in North America, Asia, and Europe. The largest population of Brown bears is in Russia, and around 30,000 in the united states with a majority of those in the state of Alaska. In North America, there are two subspecies of brown bears: Grizzly bears and Kodiak bears (that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska). There used to be 3 subspecies in North America, but the California Grizzly was driven to extinction not to long after the gold rush in the late 1800’s. Brown bears are much larger than their black bear friends, and can weigh from 300 and 1,600 pounds, and eat around 900 pounds of food a day. They also measure from 5 to 9 feet from nose to tail. The brown bear is very similar to the black bear when it comes to how tiny their cubs are at birth and what months they give birth. Their babies also stick around with mom for 1-3 years to learn exactly how to be a bear. These large bears also hibernate in the same way their black bear counterparts do.
The brown bear can run a little faster than the black bear at around 30 miles per hour, and they can even outrun a horse. Brown bears release a scent from glands in their feet, acting like social media for bears. This way bears can tell if another bear has been in their neck of the woods and babies can tell where their mother is. Brown bears can express a range of emotions through vocalizations, such as clicking and grunting to show care for cubs or when trying to mate. If they're angry, agitated, or annoyed, they will growl or bark. Whimpering, squealing, bellowing, and bawling indicate pain, while purring, humming, or mumbling indicate contentment. The Brown bear has the same amazing sense of smell that the black bear does, and it is astounding.
Remember when I told you that black bear mother will generally only charge at you but rarely attack when it comes to her babies? well, the brown bear mama will follow through on that threat, and a grizzly mama bear protecting her cubs accounts for the majority of injuries and fatalities by bears in North America. The brown bear will rarely attack unless you are a perceived threat or you catch them off guard. With a a powerful biting force at around 1,000 psi, it is probably best to keep your distance, stay away from their babies, and do not to sneak up behind them to say BOO. For the most part they actually avoid humans and are loners by nature.
The Polar Bear
The Polar Bear
Polar bear symbolism is often associated with strength, fortitude, and courage. It is also associated with the Arctic and its cold, harsh environment, as well as with survival in difficult times. Polar bears are known for their white coats, which symbolize purity and cleanliness, as well as their ability to adapt to their environment.
First off, Polar bears aka “sea bears” have many different names across the Arctic and in other countries.
Isbjorn = In Denmark and norway and the word means ice bear is(Ice) Bjorn(bear)
Tornassuk = In Eastern Greenland and this translates to the master of helping spirits.
Nanuk or Pihoqahiak = Inuit translates into The ever wandering one.
Gyp = The ket tribe in Siberia and it translates into grandfather
Beliy Medved = In Russia and it translates into white bear
All these different cultures have a strong respect for polar bears
You can find these bears in Greenland, Norway, Russia, Canada, US In the state of Alaska. Polar bears generally give birth in December in a Den that they make in a snow drift. It is very common for the female Polar bear to have twins or even three cubs. The female remains in her den until spring just like the Black and brown bears, and she survives on her fat stores just like them as well. Polar bear babies are born just a little bit bigger than the other bears at about 1 pound, and they are already covered in some soft white fur. The cubs stay with mom for about 3 years.
You would think living in such a cold environment the polar bear would get very cold, but it is actually quite the opposite problem. Polar bears tend to overheat, this is why you can usually find them walking at a very slow pace. These Sea Bears are considered to be the largest living carnivores on earth and by far the biggest of the bears, with the Kodiak brown bear as a close second. Polar bears weigh from 300-1,300 pounds and an adult male can stand 10 feet tall when he is on his hind legs. Their skin is actually black and their fur is not actually white, it is transparent with a hollow core. This helps them reflect light so the polar bear can camouflage themselves to hunt for their main food source, seals. Polar bears also have an amazing sense of smell which is much better than their eye sight, This is why they stand on their hind legs to sniff the air instead of spending time looking around.
Polar bears are also the same as brown bears when it comes to aggression. Polar bears do not typically attack unprovoked and don’t seek out confrontation unless they are really hungry because they have a scarce food source or feel threatened. It is best to keep your distance from the largest carnivore on earth.
International Polar Bear Day is on February 27th.
The Panda Bear
The Panda Bear
Panda bears are often seen as symbols of peace, luck, and friendship. They represent the idea of harmony and balance, and can be seen as a reminder to focus on kindness and gentleness. They are also seen as a symbol of protection, since they are very gentle creatures. In China, the panda bear is seen as a symbol of strength and good luck. The World Wildlife Fund chose the panda as their logo because of the peaceful nature of the bear.
These cuddly balls of fur live in the mountains of southwestern China, and are also referred to as the Great Panda. These bears generally live off of bamboo shoots and leaves that make up 99% of their diet with some fish from time to time. These are my kind of bear, because they can spend 12-14 hours a day eating. Those cute chubby cheeks of their are actually very strong muscles so the panda can chew through the bamboo, making their jaw strength similar to that of a lion. Unlike the other bears we have covered, Giant Pandas are slow moving and seldom move faster than a walk, and are actually clumsily in their movement. This is the point where I have come to the conclusion that I might also be a panda bear.
Pandas give birth to 1 or 2 cubs every 2 years, and the babies will stay with mom for about three years as well. The wee little babies weigh in at about 3-5 OZ at birth and are pink with no hair and blind. Unlike their other bear friends these fluffy wonders do not hibernate, they just eat. Because they do not hibernate, Panda babies are particularly venerable because they don’t have that protection of the den like the other bears do. Panda bears will weigh 160-300 pounds and stand about 4 to 6 feet tall when standing on their hind legs. The sounds a Panda make can resemble those of a baby goat or lamb, and a panda can growl, bark, huff and honk making you wonder if they are even a bear at all by the sound of it.
the Giant Panda is believed to have existed since the Pleistocene age, approximately 3 million years ago. and has been referred to as living fossil. This animal, that is a survivor of the ice age is currently now considered a vulnerable species in 2016, this has improved from their pervious status as endangered. As few as 1,600 Pandas live in their native habitat and around 600 in Zoos. The main reason why their numbers have been so low, is because of habitat loss.
The panda also has a different set of front paws from the other bears because they have a sixth toe that can help them grasp bamboo and they use this toe the same way us humans use our thumbs. They also have the digestive tract of a carnivore, yet they eat mainly vegetation, makes you wonder if that was their original diet long ago? or they are just silly like that. All Giant Pandas are actually considered Chinese citizens, no matter where they are in the world. They are considered a national treasure to China and are protected by law. If you see a panda at a zoo or a reserve anywhere else in the world, they are considered to be on loan from China and if a cub is born they must be sent back at about 3 years old to China to assist in making a bigger panda population.
Some other bears of the world that I did not cover
Although I only covered 4 species of bear there are 8 species total. Maybe I will just need to write another blog about them at a later date! Here are the remaining four species.
The Asiatic Black Bear = Also known as the Himalayan black bear, or the moon bear, live in Eastern Asia.
The Andean Bear = Also known as the Spectacled Bear found only in the Andes mountains of South America.
The Sloth Bear = Also known as the Honey Bear, live in Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh
The Sun Bear = Also known as the Malay bear, live in Southeast Asia.
Bears have been deeply embedded in the human imagination for centuries, and continue to represent a powerful and fascinating presence in many cultures. No matter what the personal meaning of a bear is to an individual, it is clear that bears are powerful symbols of strength, courage, and resilience. Bears have been associated with these qualities for centuries, and have been used to represent many different ideas and values. Whether it is wisdom, protection, or simply an appreciation for nature, bears have been and continue to be a significant part of our world. The bear necessities are all you need to make life a little more bearable.
