bears at zoo build own den for winter

[nynor]

this is cool:

Grizzly bears at Hogle Zoo create custom den | ksl.com

[enzo1]

"Bears are thought to have the best sense of smell of any animal on earth. For example, the average dog’s sense of smell is 100 times better than a humans. A blood hound’s is 300 times better. A bear’s sense of smell is 7 times better than a blood hound’s or 2,100 times better than a human.

Bears acute sense of smell evolved in order to help them find food, mates, keep track of their cubs and avoid danger, particularly between competing individuals. Except for mother bears, bears are territorial animals that need to range widely to find enough food to sustain themselves. A bear’s sense of smell is so acute that they can detect animal carcases upwind and from a distance of 20 miles away. You should just assume that they can smell the food in your food bag too.

Bears have an incredible sense of smell because the area of their brain that manages the sense of smell, called the olefactory bulb, is at least 5 times larger than the same area in human brains even though a bear’s brain is one third the size.

Bears also have highly developed noses that contain hundred of tiny muscles and let them manipulate them with the same dexterity as people’s fingers. The surface area inside their 9 inch noses also has hundreds of times more surface area and receptors than a human’s.

So the next time you make camp in bear country, make sure you hang a bear bag or store your food in a bear-resistant bag or cannister at least 100 yards away from your shelter. You should also seriously consider lining your food bag with an OPSACK 100% odor-proof plastic bag. These plastic bags are 17,000 times more odor-proof than normal ziploc bags and can significantly reduce the chance of a human bear encounter."

[masraum]

If you keep your food in an odor-proof bag, then you'll smell like the closest thing to food around. Maybe keep some food not in an odor proof bag 1/2 mile from camp, let them eat that. I say sleep in an odor proof bag, or maybe smear a camp mate with food after he's passed out. Kind of like the old saying, you don't have to be the fastest, you just need to be faster than the slowest. You also don't have to not smell, you just have to smell less like food than one of the other guys.

[nynor]

i usually just go camping with at least one other person that i know i can outrun.

[enzo1]

"Deer Sense of Smell – Deer vs. Dog vs. Human – Fact #1

Biologists confirm that a deer’s sense of smell is much greater than even the most olfactory acute humans. In fact, biologists suggest that a deer’s sense of smell may be up to 1000x better than humans. This allows the deer to smell predators from great distances giving them a better chance to flee before conflict. Olfactory receptors are the measuring criteria for a sense of smell. Here is how the break down between deer and human works out:

Deer – 297 million olfactory receptors
Human – 5 million olfactory receptors


A Wet Nose is a Good Nose – Fact #2

One fun fact about the deer and its sense of scent versus taste is how the deer keeps the nose and sense of smell so acute. A deer licks its nose at least several times a minute to keep it moist. A moist nose allows scents to “stick” to the nose, making the scents much more detectable. The deer uses the tongue that has poor taste receptors to keep the scent receptors powerful. Who knew Bambi was so complicated?

Deer “Pass On” Information Via Scent – Fact #3

Deer use scent to their advantage in other ways. For example, when a deer picks up the scent of a predator special glands between the “pedals” – the space between toes on the hooves – produce a secretion that gets placed on the ground when the deer runs. Other deer in the area, warning them to use caution as predators are around, picks this up.



From the Eyes of Deer – Fact #4

Deer use their acute sense of smell by secreting scented pheromones from the preorbital gland on the outer corner of their eyes. When startled by the scent of a predator the pheromone output increases, “scenting” the air so other deer get olfactory “fingerprints” of the fear-smell.

Fawns Go Scent-Free – Fact #5

Fawns, the very young offspring of the deer, are not able to run at high speeds or flee from predators in any efficient way. The fawns have their own method of protection in they have no scent from approximately the first three months of their lives. This means they remain undetected by predators. Biologists suggest the fawn’s mother has a special olfactory receptor that allows her to find the fawn when in hiding.

[gearya]

Maybe they are really digging an escape tunnel and just want you to think it is a den.

[nynor]

i am all for a zoo-break.

[intakexhaust]

Bright zoo keeper there "the bears are just using the tools they have like the nails and muscles".

I'll be darned Yogi, I always thought lil BooBoo would grow up and operate an excavator.

[nynor]

i blame that on KSL news reporting. their reporting style is silly enough that i am embarrassed for them.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by enzo1

Bears acute sense of smell evolved in order to help them find food, mates, keep track of their cubs and avoid danger, particularly between competing individuals.

Rofl...

Uhh...

lol

[kach22i]

It going to be a cold winter.

[Baz]

These are the cubs from mother in the Soda Butte attack.....glad to see they are doing well.