Grizzly bears have a multitude of strengths. They are highly intelligent and have excellent memories. Detecting food from great distances away, grizzlies have an astute sense of smell, even better than that of a hound dog. They are good
swimmers and fast runners, reaching speeds as high as 50 km/h (35 mph) over land. Young grizzlies also have the ability to climb trees to evade danger, but this skill fades as they become bigger.
(The word "grizzly" means "grizzled"; that is, golden and grey tips of the hair)
An excellent fisher
Grizzly bears are solitary animals but they can be found in groups at
a certain time each year. In the summer grizzly bears gather along
rivers and streams to feast on the salmon as they run upstream for
spawning. Grizzlies use different methods to catch fish. Some stand still in the water, watching the fish closely. When a fish jumps out of the water the grizzly snatches it in its jaws. Other grizzlies swat the fish out of the water and onto the shore. Some grizzlies even dive under water to find fish.