Bears are mammals that belong to the ursid family, included in the order of carnivores However, we will see that these Large and amazing animals, which can be found on most continents, do not only eat meat. In reality they have a very varied diet and this depends on various factors.
Bears spend a great deal of time eating and among the foods they consume, the occasional human being is not ruled out, although this is rare, since attacks usually occur as a defense and/or protection mechanism. If you want to know what bears eat, don't hesitate to read this article on our site.
Digestive system of bears
Bears are omnivorous animals, since they eat animal and plant species. This is why its digestive system, which is adapted to a wide variety of foods, is not as extensive as that of only herbivorous animals nor as short as that of only carnivorous animals, since the bear's intestines are of medium length.
However, these animals need to be eating continuously, since not all the food they eat gets digested. As they also feed on plants and fruits, their teeth are not as sharp as other wild carnivores, but they do have very prominent canines and large molars that they use to tear and chew food.
Feeding the bears
As good omnivores, they normally consume all kinds of food, both animal and vegetable matter. However, they are considered opportunistic, since their diet depends on where each species lives and the resources they can access. In this way, a polar bear only feeds on animal species, since in the Arctic they cannot access plant species. Meanwhile, a brown bear can access plants and animals, since it lives in wooded areas with access to rivers. In this section, we can find out what different types of bears eat:
- Brown bear (Ursus arctos): its diet is very varied and includes fish, some insects, birds, fruits, grass, livestock, hares, rabbits, amphibians, etc.
- Polar bear (Ursus maritimus): their diet is basically carnivorous, since they can only access animals that live in the Arctic, such as walruses, belugas and seals, mainly.
- Panda bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca): since they live in forested areas of China, where bamboo abounds, this becomes their main food. However, sometimes they can also eat the odd insect.
- Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus): These bears inhabit the warm forests of Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo and Malaysia, where they feed especially of small reptiles, mammals, fruits and honey.
If you want to know more about the characteristics of these and other bear species, don't hesitate to read Types of bears - Species and their characteristics
Do bears eat humans?
Given the large size of bears and their varied diet, it is not uncommon to wonder if these animals can also devour humans. Given the fear of many people, it should be noted that man is not a food that is included in the usual diet of bears
However, we must always be careful if we are near these large animals, since there is evidence that on some occasions they have even attacked and/or preyed on human beings. The main reason for most attacks has been the need to protect their young and their territory However, in the case of the polar bear, it is understandable that this have more predatory instincts, since if you have never lived near people you will not be afraid of trying to prey on them, especially when their usual food may be scarce in nature.
Since you know the danger these animals can pose, you may also be interested in How to survive a bear attack?
Fun facts about bear feeding
Now that you know what bears eat, these facts about their diet may be very interesting:
- Among the fish most consumed by bears, salmon stands out. The bears use their large claws to capture them and eat them at high speeds.
- Although most preying animal species are small, there are cases where they consume deer and elk.
- They have a long tongue which they use to extract honey.
- Depending on the time of year and where bears live, the amount of food they eat is different. Thus, these animals usually consume more food than they need to survive in times of food scarcity.
- They have some very long claws to dig and find food underground (insects, for example). These are also used to climb trees and hunt their prey.
- Bears use their sense of smell, which is highly developed, to smell their prey at great distances.
- In some regions where the bear lives near human populations, there have been cases in which these animals have been seen feeding on grass on golf courses.
- Bears can spend about 12 hours a day eating food.
