Boo Boo – European Brown Bear

BooBoo is a female European Brown Bear (Ursus arctos arctos) born in 2012. She appeared in a Bear Creek Pasta commercial with her sister. Boo Boo and her sister were brought to the Foundation because they needed a home. Her sister moved to another facility to become a companion to another European brown bear, while Boo Boo remains at the Foundation with her companion Tom as an ambassador of her species.

European brown bears, also known as the Eurasian brown bear, have a powerful bone structure, large paws, and are equipped with big claws which can grow up to 4 inches in length. Depending on their habitat, their fur color can vary from yellowish-brown to dark brown, red brown, and almost black in some cases. They have very dense fur which can grow up to 4 inches in length. European brown bears have a large hump of muscle on their shoulders similar to the grizzly bear. European brown bears are also incredibly intelligent and clever. They are capable of opening screw-top jars and manipulating door latches. They are also very strong and have been known to flip over flat-shaped rocks weighing up to 325 pounds with a single forelimb.

Brown bears were once classified as not true hibernators; however, now they are considered highly efficient hibernators because it was discovered that they possess the ability to change their metabolism and remain dormant for months. Brown bears typically hibernate in cold weather conditions and when food is scarce. Depending on the climate, brown bears will enter their dens in October and November and typically hibernate for three to eight months, but they remain somewhat alert and active during this time.

European brown bears are found across northern Eurasia. They are extinct in Ireland and Britain but they still live in Northern Europe and Russia. The European brown bear lives in large forests as well as higher mountain regions. Even though the European brown bear is a protected species in most European countries they still suffer from poaching; however, the major threat to the European brown bear is habitat destruction.

european brown bear Statistics: