Communicating With Bears: Black Bears: Bear Sounds

» ConnieT - Bear Sounds

Hiya JerryBear,

I know some experts say that bears don't "growl" but I heard what sounded like a growl or roar from a grizzly sow and this is a true story.

It was a windy day and hidden down along the banks of the river, two boys enjoyed some fishing...for awhile. The sow could not smell them and the boys could not see her as she made a quiet journey with her young down the trail. The sow stops at the top of the river bank, stands on her hind legs, and exerts this unearthly sound. She retreats forward only to display a fake charge. The two boys scramble up the bank of loose dirt and rocks, their faces white and full of terror.

Swiftly, the sow and three cubs swim across the river, turning to us as if to say, heed my warning. I watch as she paces back and forth,
giving us spectators a grizzly evil eye. She slaps the ground with her paws and you can hear every deep grunt. She then gathers her cubs and disappears into the thick brush. The two boys were lucky and weren’t hurt.

The sound from this grizzly was like a roar and it echoed. It was nothing compared to a simple grunt. Black bears that I've seen either don't make any noise or it is more of a low keyed grunt. The fact that this grizzly was surprised by these boys, her growl,grunt or whatever you'd like call it, was more intense than what is considered a normal sound.

-- posted by ConnieT