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10 Things You Might Not Know About Brown Bears

Disneynature's upcoming film "Bears" will teach you a lot about the animals, but here's a good start.

In Disneynature's upcoming film Bears, you'll learn a lot about a family of grizzly bears.

The film, set against the majestic Alaskan backdrop, shows the action and suspense of the bears' lives as they face challenges from the cold, finding food and avoiding predators. 

Here are 10 fun facts about brown bears to help you brush up on the basics before seeing the movie:

1. A Brown Bear’s head measures almost 15 inches in length.
2. Brown bears are omnivores; their diet is a mix of animals and plants.
3. Bear cubs are typically born the size of a small chipmunk in either January or February.
4. Brown Bears have a large head that holds an average of 42 teeth.
5. Each year more than a hundred brown bears descend on a 1-mile long stretch of the Brooks River to feast on the largest sockeye salmon run in the world.
6. More than 2,000 brown bears call Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska home.
7. A bear’s sense of smell is seven times better than a bloodhound’s and 2,100 times better than ours.
8. When adult male brown bears stand on their hind legs they may reach almost 9 feet.
9. A brown bear can smell scents up to 2 miles away.
10. Because cubs are unable to travel far, females with cubs have the smallest home range (50 to 150 square miles) whereas males can have upwards of 600 square miles.

This article is sponsored by Disneynature's new film "Bears," in theaters April 18. 



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