And after a tireless search of fatal bear attacks on Wikipedia -- I agree.

Did you know they bury you after they've killed you to come back for later?

Savages.

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Posted by Cheese Grits

Wherever I lay my hat is my home

Member since Apr 2012

55184 posts

Posted on 10/25/15 at 7:04 pm to StrawsDrawnAtRandom

quote:
Did you know they bury you after they've killed you to come back for later?

Bears are able to consume between 12 and 40 kg of fresh meat in a day. However, consumption is not indiscriminate and typically reflects marked preference for some carcass parts. Almost universally, the most favored or at least first eaten portion of a female is the udder. After that, most bears eat the brisket and adjacent rib meat or the meaty proximal part of the front legs. Most carcasses are cleanly eviscerated soon after they are killed or found by a bear, with the heart, liver, and lungs selected for priority consumption. The skin, hair, rumen, and stomach are the most consistently unused soft parts of a carcass. In fact, a more-or-less neatly pealed off hide is one of the more diagnostic signatures of bear involvement. Bears are also one of the few consumers that can readily crack the major leg bones of a larger ungulate in pursuit of the marrow. Some bears even get into the habit of cracking the skull so that they can consume the brains.

There are other features that distinguish carcass use by grizzly bears. If there are enough edibles to warrant the investment, a bear will typically bury the entire carcass or selected parts of it by scraping adjacent soil and litter over the tidbit with its front paws. Presumably this inhibits decomposition and the dissemination of scent that might attract competitors. As further sign of ownership, you might even find a bear sprawled directly on top of a carcass, attempting to rest while at the same time prevent pilfering by other scavengers. A bear may also move an intact or even partly consumed carcass to a spot more to its liking. If the carcass is not fresh, a drag trail of shed ungulate hair will connect the new carcass location with the rumen contents left at the original site of death. In addition, there are often bear beds nearby and a bear trail leading to the nearest available water (an apparent necessity when consuming such a protein-rich diet).