Support the park

Loading
Loading

European brown bear

( Ursus arctos )

The European brown bear lives in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. However, brown bears are found all over the world, with only slight differences in size and color depending on the region. Brown bears are omnivores, but up to 90% of their diet often consists of plant material. They eat as much as possible during the summer months and then hibernate in winter. It’s also in the winter den that the cubs are born, weighing only around 500 grams at birth.

1

Hear the European brown bear

2

Weight

100-400 kg

3

Habitat

Forest and tundra

4

Diet

Omnivore

5

Offspring

1-4

Get to know European brown bear

Order: Predators

Family: Bears (Ursidae). There are 8 species of bears in the world.

Distribution: Entire Northern Hemisphere

Habitat: Forest and tundra

Lifespan: In the wild 20-30 years. In captivity up to 40 years.

Body length: 130-250 cm + 5-15 cm tail

Height at the shoulder: 90-125 cm

Weight: Male: 100-400 kg; Female: 100-200 kg

Maturity: 3-4 years

Oestrus: April to June

Gestation: 7-9 months (extended gestation)

Number of offspring: 1-4, usually 2-3 every other year

Diet: Omnivorous; including grass, herbs, berries, fruit, insects, fish and meat

Habitat

The brown bear lives in a wide range of habitats but prefers areas with dense vegetation, such as large forests, mountain woodlands, and tundra, where it can find both food and shelter. It is often found near rivers and lakes, where it can catch fish, especially during salmon spawning. Brown bears generally avoid human activity and choose quiet, remote locations to dig their dens, where they can hibernate undisturbed.

Distribution

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) has one of the widest natural distributions of any land-dwelling predator and is found today across large parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. In Europe, brown bears live in regions such as Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the Alps. In Asia, they range from Turkey through Siberia to northern Japan. In North America, the species is especially common in Alaska and western Canada, with smaller populations further south in the United States.

Globally, brown bears are divided into several populations and subspecies based on their geographic location and genetic differences. They are known by different names around the world—such as grizzly bears, Kodiak bears, or Kamchatka bears—but they are all part of the same species. In Scandinavia, brown bears are primarily found in Sweden and Finland, with a smaller population in Norway, particularly near the Swedish border.

Djursland

5,000 years ago, brown bears roamed the forests that once covered Djursland. We know this because archaeologists discovered a bear skull buried alongside a human in a Stone Age grave near Ginnerup. The burial dates back to the Neolithic period and is solid evidence that brown bears were a natural part of the Danish wildlife at that time. The fact that the skull was placed in a human grave suggests that the bear may have held a deeper meaning – perhaps as prey, symbol, or spiritual figure. What we do know for certain is that brown bears gradually disappeared from Denmark as forests were cleared and the human population grew.

When the brown bear enclosure at Scandinavian Wildlife Park was constructed in 2003, the past once again made its presence known. Archaeological excavations revealed the remains of a settlement from the Funnel Beaker Culture – the very people who likely hunted wild brown bears in this region. In other words: 5,000 years before the bear habitat was built, ancient bear hunters lived on that exact same spot. History truly comes full circle.

Today, the brown bear lives in the park as a kind of living time capsule. It represents a predator that once roamed freely in the Danish landscape – including here on Djursland – reminding us just how wild our world used to be.

Distribution

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) has one of the widest natural distributions of any land-dwelling predator and is found today across large parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. In Europe, brown bears live in regions such as Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the Alps. In Asia, they range from Turkey through Siberia to northern Japan. In North America, the species is especially common in Alaska and western Canada, with smaller populations further south in the United States.

Globally, brown bears are divided into several populations and subspecies based on their geographic location and genetic differences. They are known by different names around the world—such as grizzly bears, Kodiak bears, or Kamchatka bears—but they are all part of the same species. In Scandinavia, brown bears are primarily found in Sweden and Finland, with a smaller population in Norway, particularly near the Swedish border.

Djursland

5,000 years ago, brown bears roamed the forests that once covered Djursland. We know this because archaeologists discovered a bear skull buried alongside a human in a Stone Age grave near Ginnerup. The burial dates back to the Neolithic period and is solid evidence that brown bears were a natural part of the Danish wildlife at that time. The fact that the skull was placed in a human grave suggests that the bear may have held a deeper meaning – perhaps as prey, symbol, or spiritual figure. What we do know for certain is that brown bears gradually disappeared from Denmark as forests were cleared and the human population grew.

When the brown bear enclosure at Scandinavian Wildlife Park was constructed in 2003, the past once again made its presence known. Archaeological excavations revealed the remains of a settlement from the Funnel Beaker Culture – the very people who likely hunted wild brown bears in this region. In other words: 5,000 years before the bear habitat was built, ancient bear hunters lived on that exact same spot. History truly comes full circle.

Today, the brown bear lives in the park as a kind of living time capsule. It represents a predator that once roamed freely in the Danish landscape – including here on Djursland – reminding us just how wild our world used to be.

The Brown Bear Park

At Scandinavian Wildlife Park, the brown bears live in a 2.5-hectare bear enclosure filled with dens, hills, trees, and lots of water. The bear enclosure was built in 2003. As a guest in the Brown Bear Park, you experience the bears from a 250-meter-long boardwalk – placing you right at eye level with the bears.

It’s easy to spend a long time in the Brown Bear Park, watching the bears splash and swim in the lake or play and climb in the trees. The brown bears are very active, and it can be hard to tear yourself away once you’ve entered the bears’ world!

The residents

At Scandinavian Wildlife Park, we have 10 brown bears divided into two groups.

One group consists of our large males: the breeding male Brutus, and the two teenage brothers, Buller and Bobby.

The other group consists of our two breeding females, Bjørk and Barba, along with their five cubs. In mid-January 2024, Bjørk and Barba gave birth to two and three cubs respectively, and they now help each other care for them. We are unable to tell the cubs apart, so they are collectively known as “The Bear Gang”.

Bjørk and Barba live with the Bear Gang in our summer enclosure, which is visible to our guests, while the males live in our winter enclosure behind the scenes. Unfortunately, guests cannot see the males unless they catch a glimpse of them peeking through the fence.

Name:

Brutus

Born:

01.01.2015

Gender:

Male

Brutus was born in a wildlife park in Norway but moved to Scandinavian Wildlife Park in 2019. Brutus is our current breeding male and is the father of Buller and Bobby, as well as the five cubs born in 2024. 

Name:

Buller

Born:

05.01.2020

Gender:

Male

Buller was born here at Scandinavian Wildlife Park. He is the brother of Bobby. Brutus is his father. It is unknown whether Bjørk or Barba is his mother, as both females helped raise the cubs together. 

Name:

Bobby

Born:

05.01.2020

Gender:

Male

Bobby was born here at Scandinavian Wildlife Park. He is the brother of Buller. Brutus is his father. It is unknown whether Bjørk or Barba is his mother, as both females helped raise the cubs together. 

Name:

Barba

Born:

10.01.2013

Gender:

Female

Barba was born here at Scandinavian Wildlife Park. She is the sister of Bjørk and the mother of Buller and Bobby. Since both Bjørk and Barba were with our breeding male Brutus during mating season, and since they have raised the cubs together, we don’t actually know which one of them is the mother of Buller and Bobby. Barba is also the mother of 3 out of the 5 cubs born in 2024. 

Name:

Bjørk

Born:

10.01.2013

Gender:

Female

Bjørk was born here at Scandinavian Wildlife Park. She is the sister of Barba and the mother of Buller and Bobby. Since both Bjørk and Barba were with our breeding male Brutus during mating season, and since they have raised the cubs together, we don’t actually know which one of them is the mother of Buller and Bobby. Bjørk is also the mother of 2 out of the 5 cubs born in 2024. 

Name:

The Bear Gang

Born:

11.01.2024 and 16.01.2024

The Bear Gang was born at Scandinavian Wildlife Park and is the second time Brutus, Bjørk, and Barba have acted as a parenting trio. Bjørk is the mother of one male and one female, while Barba is the mother of one male and two females. 

Verdenskort