brendengarrett: I've heard somewhere that some brown bears have recently been observed hunting in packs, an abormal social behavior for them as they are normally solitary animals. Do you have any more information on this? Is this abnormal behavior linked with a negative impact on their species, or is it just an isolated, unprovable report from someone?
Peter Gros: You are correct, it would be very rare to see groups of grizzly bears hunting together in packs. However, I have spent some time on Admiralty Island near Juneau, which has a very dense population of grizzly bears — approximately one per square mile — and as bears were moving through the valleys toward a feeding pasture they were tolerating each other in groups. I can see how one might think that they appeared as though they were hunting together. But you are right, generally bears are loners, but they will occasionally congregate to feed.

bear320: Bears are my favorite animal. How many grizzlies are left in the wild? What can ordinary people do to help them? Thank you.
Peter Gros: In the lower 48 states, there are approximately 1,000 brown bears surviving. Of these about 350 live in Montana, 350-400 around Yellowstone National Park, about 30 in the Selkirk Mountains of Idaho and eastern Washington, about 20 live in the Northern Cascades of Washington state, and in Alaska, there are approximately 40,000. There are some very positive signs of recovery in the U.S.

The most important thing that people can do is educate themselves on how to behave in grizzly country. Listen when you're hiking. Make noise — you never want to startle a grizzly bear. Look for scat trails. Never approach carcasses. Carry food and other scented items, like toothpaste, in Ziploc bags. If a bear is sighted, do not approach it. It's best to hike in groups. After cooking, put your cooking clothing in an airtight bag. Cook 100 yards away from your sleeping area. And most importantly, never feed a bear. If bears become habituated to people and start associating people with food, eventually they will be destroyed. So tell as many people as you can, "a fed bear is a dead bear." Regarding pepper spray... It's a good idea to carry it in bear country, but never assume if you have it with you that you shouldn't treat bears with the utmost respect, giving them the distance they need from humans to not feel their territory is being threatened.

prodogtrainer: I wanted to say this was the best movie. I have such great respect for this giant predator. I spent the whole hour with tears of joy in my eyes. I have always been interested in doing fieldwork, maybe in my own area of Massachusetts. How does one get involved in fieldwork?
Peter Gros: I would contact universities and find out what university or government wildlife agencies have internship programs, and then contact them.

Peter Gros: I've certainly enjoyed your questions tonight. I wish we had more time to answer them all. Before I go, I'd like to recommend some great books on grizzlies: Grizzly: Monarch of the Wilderness, The Great Bears, Grizzlies in Their Backyard by Beth Day and The Grizzly Bear.

I look forward to hearing from you as the show's chats continue. I am proud to be able to speak to all of you on behalf of Mutual of Omaha as we continue our legacy of concern for preserving our natural world.