Grizzly bears are a type of bear. They are part of the larger category of brown bears.
Lore[]
Grizzly bears believe that when they die, their spirits find their way to the rivers and are carried out to sea. As was the case with Oka and Tobi, grizzly bear spirits also appear in lakes. They believe the North Star is the spirit of the loneliest brown bear, who committed an unspecified deed so horrible the other animals banished him to the farthest corner of the sky, and circle the Lonely Star forever, taunting him.
History[]
In the Seekers Manga[]
- Oka and her cubs, Toklo and Tobi, and their father, appear in this book. Oka struggles to find food for them, and Tobi falls into an icy river and becomes sick. The two cubs meet their father, who chases the family out of his territory.
In The Original Series arc[]
The Quest Begins[]
- Toklo, Oka, Tobi, Grumps, Fochik, Aylen, Ujurak, and Shoteka are the notable grizzly bears who appear in this book. Toklo, Oka, and Tobi are struggling and Tobi grows weaker every day when Oka decides to take her cubs to the Great Salmon River. Tobi is too ill to handle the journey over the mountains and dies, with Oka spiraling into madness. Toklo accompanies her as far as the river, where after Oka saves him from Shoteka, she drives him away.
Meanwhile, a lone grizzly called Grumps lives in the Bear Bowl until Oka is taken to join him. Lusa, a black bear in the next exhibit, talks to the she-bear and learns about Toklo. When Oka attacks a feeder, she realizes her fate is to be euthanized. Lusa promises to leave the Bear Bowl and find Toklo as a last promise to her.
Toklo travels the mountains alone, being chased off by older brown bears and stealing prey from another family of grizzlies. Eventually, he meets a younger grizzly cub named Ujurak, whom he learns can shape-shift into other animals and often does it accidentally. Toklo reluctantly agrees to take care of the cub as he sets off on a mysterious journey.
Great Bear Lake[]
- Many grizzlies appear in this book, including Toklo, Ujurak, Shoteka, Shesh, Hattack, and Oogrook. Grizzly bears travel to Great Bear Lake to celebrate The Longest Day. It is revealed in this book that if the salmon are not coming back, a bear is sent to Paw Print Island to prove to Arcturus grizzlies are worthy of having the fish return. Grizzly cubs Toklo and Ujurak travel to the lake, joined by black bear Lusa, where Shoteka selects Toklo to swim to the island. The other bear follows Toklo and attempts to kill him, only to be fought and defeated by the young cub. The two cubs meet up with Lusa and a polar bear named Kallik for the journey.
Smoke Mountain[]
- Toklo and Ujurak are the only grizzly bears that appear in this book. They and their companions travel across Smoke Mountain.
The Last Wilderness[]
- Toklo, Ujurak, and a few unnamed grizzlies appear in this book. When Ujurak turns into a goose, he eats a fishhook and nearly dies, forcing him to turn into a flat-face boy so the flat-faces will care for him. He is brought to a hospital, where the other bears have to rescue him, and there he learns that the wild is dying and they must save it. Toklo splits off from his friends to live his own life, but the area is crowded and he learns life is better traveling with them.
Fire in the Sky[]
- Toklo, Ujurak, Ursa, and The Lonely Bear are the only grizzly bears in this book. Toklo and Ujurak are the only named grizzlies in this book. Toklo and Ujurak struggle on the ice, and Ujurak turns into a beluga and forgets who he is for a while. The Lonely Bear appears to Toklo and warns him that one of them will die, while Ursa appears to Ujurak and reminds him how far he has come.
Spirits in the Stars[]
- Toklo, Ujurak, Ursa, Oka and Tobi are the only grizzly bears in this book. Toklo, Ujurak, and their friends arrive on Star Island, where they must help the ailing polar bears. Thanks to his medicinal knowledge and his shape-shifting powers, Ujurak finds out that their sickness came from poisoned seals and relocates them. At the end of the book, the bears realize an oil rig is threatening the wild. While they destroy it, an avalanche strikes and Ujurak sacrifices his life to save the others. They see him led to the stars by Ursa before they leave the island.
In the Return to the Wild arc[]
Island of Shadows[]
- The group arrive at Island of Shadows, and meet Nanulak, who is a Grolar Bear who wants to be a grizzly bear. They also meet his mother and half-siblings who are grizzlies. Ujurak makes a few appearances in his friends' dreams, notably to warn Toklo about Nanulak.
The Melting Sea[]
- Toklo and Ujurak are the only grizzlies in this book. Toklo teaches the Melting Sea polar bears grizzly fighting techniques, so that Salik and his gang would be unprepared in the upcoming battle. Ujurak appears to Lusa and the others on several occasions to help them, and he appears in Toklo's dream.
River of Lost Bears[]
- Toklo, Ujurak, Oka, and Tobi are the only grizzlies in this book. Toklo eagerly leads his friends along the river toward his homeland, while Ujurak appears occasionally to guide them, even showing Lusa how Oka slipped into madness after Tobi's death.
Forest of Wolves[]
- Notable grizzlies who appear in this book are Toklo, Ujurak, Maniitok, Chogan, Aiyanna, Makya, Fala, Flo, Izusa, Wapi, and Yas. Toklo returns to his homeland and finds his brother's grave, only to find the territory taken by Aiyanna. He also fights Chogan, whom he learns is his father. Ujurak appears to Lusa to get flat-face medicine for her polar bear friend Yakone, and also appears to scare away the wolves when Toklo, his friends, and all the brown bears drive them away.
The Burning Horizon[]
- Toklo and Ujurak are the only grizzlies in this book. While Toklo and the others are separated from Lusa, Ujurak appears to them all to guide them. He appears to Kallik to help her out of a crevasse. Later, he appears to them all as a large fish to help them swim a storm-tossed lake.
The Longest Day[]
- Many grizzlies appear in this book, including Toklo, Ujurak, Shesh, Hattack, Wenona, Holata, Muna, Tuari, Elki, Elsu, Tayanita, Akocha, Aiyanna, Makya, Fala, Flo, Izusa, Wapi, Yas, and Toklo and Aiyanna's cub, Oka. Toklo leaves his friends to rejoin the brown bears, who all start a rivalry with each other and the polar bears, notably Hattack. When fire threatens all three species, they shelter and celebrate the Longest Day together. Three years later, Toklo and Aiyanna return with their daughter, Oka, and reunite with Toklo's friends.
Appearance[]
- Grizzly bears are the second biggest bear, next to the polar bear. Most female grizzlies weigh 150 - 350 kilograms (330 - 770 pounds), while males weigh on average 230 – 450 kg (500 - 1000 lb). Although variable from blond to nearly black, grizzly bear fur is typically brown in color with white or silver tips, hence 'Silvertip Bear'. A pronounced muscular hump occurs on their shoulders which strengthens their front limbs for digging and running; they can attain speeds of 55 km/hr (35 mph). The hump is also a good way to determine a black bear from a brown bear, as black bears do not have this hump.
Diet[]
- They tend to primarily eat salmon, but they will eat any type of meat such as hares, caribou, birds and deer. If pushed to extreme circumstances, they will eat berries, grubs, and roots. Grizzly bears can also eat musk oxen and seals in the frozen sea.
- In Great Bear Lake, Miki mentions that he had been travelling with other black bears, and one of them said she saw a grizzly bear kill and eat a black bear cub.[1]
Habitat[]
- Grizzlies sleep in caves and at the bases of trees. They mark their territory by scoring their claws on the bark of the trees at the edge of their territory.
Characters[]
Full article: Grizzly Appearances The following characters appear as grizzlies:
Grizzly bear catching salmon
- Toklo
- Tobi
- Oka
- Ujurak
- Shoteka
- Grumps
- Fochik
- Aylen
- Shesh
- Oogrook
- Ursa
- Toklo's Father
- Hattack
- Nanulak's Mother
- Nanulak's half brother
- Nanulak's half sister
References[]
- ↑ Revealed in Great Bear Lake, page 255